


It’s Better the Second Time Around

by SpencnerTibbsLuvr (KliqzAngel)



Series: The Series Within the Series 'Verse [1]
Category: Criminal Minds, NCIS
Genre: AU After Nature of the Beast-NCIS, AU for CSI: Cyber Ending, AU for Hawaii 5-0, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anti-Abby, Anti-Gibbs, Character Bashing, Conversational Mention of Child Abuse, Graphic Description of Murder, Humor, M/M, Mention of off-screen AU character death, Mentions/Implied PTSD, Murder, Non-Canon Compliant: Criminal Minds, Non-Canon Compliant: NCIS, OOC Gibbs, OOC Will Brandt, OOC-Garcia, OOC-Rossi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, canon level violence, description of murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-09-19 05:55:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 30
Words: 90,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9421436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KliqzAngel/pseuds/SpencnerTibbsLuvr
Summary: Tony thinks that he has it all. He has a job that he loves. He has friends that he thinks support him, and he has a man that he is crazy about. Even if Gibbs is somewhat reluctant to take the next step. That's ok. It's normal right? That's just Gibbs, right? Not so much. When the bottom falls out, Tony finds himself turning to the past in order to find his future. The last thing he expected was to find everything he'd always been looking for.Aaron Hotchner loved his career. He hadn't once regretted the sacrifices that he'd made to get where he was. OK, so his life away from work was fairly empty, but it didn't matter because the team was a family. It didn't matter that his marriage had failed, because he loved what he did. He'd lost his wife to long hours and a refusal to have a child. He always assumed some day they'd try again. Then one day a serial killer takes that away from him. Hotch decided there would be only work from then on... Until a passionate, angry man returns to the FBI like the prodigal son with scars as thick as Aaron's own. He has to admit that he is more than a little... intrigued.





	1. The End of Everything

**Author's Note:**

> This is my April 2016 Rough Trade entry. The story is MUCH bigger than it was at the time, and is around 90K. The story is done except for one chapter at the very end. Posting will happen every Sunday until it's completely posted. It is a prequel to my story [Loves Both Old & New](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5489852). There are some spoilers though for events in this fic. So, if you haven't read it, you absolutely don't need to.
> 
> This story has been beta'd by the marvelous Rivermoon1970. She also made my gorgeous banner. Many thanks go out to her for the hand holding, and general cheer-leading.

 

 **Chapter One:** _The End of Everything_

 

The case was over, or as over as it was going to get for the moment. Tony’s gut told him that there was more to the whole situation, but that wasn’t his primary focus currently EJ was missing, maybe dead. Cade was definitely dead. There was some man running around pretending to be an FBI agent, but wasn’t. Said pretend FBI agent had murdered Cade, and framed Tony. While he had issues with the FBI in the past, they’d never gone quite that far.

His memories were back, but Tony wasn’t sure that he was completely settled. Between the mission that he hated, and being manipulated by another person above him on the food chain, this time SecNav, he just didn’t feel whole yet. Add to that, Dr. Kate’s Sister with her mind games, and Gibbs’ yo-yoing between concern and harshness, Tony wasn’t sure he was yet on solid ground.

He needed something more. He needed someone to tell him that he was ok. He needed someone to tell him that there was a forever out there for him. He needed someone to tell him that forever would be spent with them. He knew who he thought that someone should be, but his gut…

Tony readily admitted that his gut wasn’t as advanced as Gibbs’, but it was pretty damned good. This need for more, for forever, for safety, and home wasn’t new. It was something he had buried inside of him for as long as he could remember. Probably since his mother had died, possibly even before that.. Safety and security weren’t something he had experienced much as a child.. He had money, he had clothes and things, and he even had people to make sure that he was fed, usually. Those people were servants, but he had never questioned it. He needed more though.

He often heard people talking about their biological clock going off, and wanting babies. Tony’s must have been defective. His told him that the time to find someone to spend his life with was running out. He had no need for children. He loved his career, and his vacations. He had no need to be tied down to a child, as selfish as he knew that sounded. What he did need was someone there with him. He thought that he needed that someone to be Gibbs, because… well dammit it just had to be Gibbs.

Tony had devoted more time to Gibbs than he ever devoted to any other person. He needed all that time, and effort to mean something. Even if he had been putting off this conversation that he knew he had to have. The conversation that he needed to have. The conversation that he was scared shitless wasn’t going to go how he wanted. Gibbs was…

Gibbs was like a huge thick solid cement and lead lined wall. Tony’s need was like Ziva’s Mini. Tony was trying to ignore his gut, which was advising him that his inner Mini was going to go splat all over the wall that was Gibbs. He wasn’t ready to accept that though. He needed to believe it was going to work out. It had to work out, because after all that happened with EJ, Cade, and SecNav, Tony was pretty sure he was gonna fall apart if it didn’t.

He had been parked outside of Gibbs’ house for at least a half an hour. Tony was a little surprised that the neighbors hadn’t called the cops yet. He hated this feeling. Being so insecure and needy sucked. He didn’t want to be like this. He wanted to be as confident and sure of himself as everyone always assumed that he was. He wasn’t though. He needed love. He needed comfort. He needed forever.

He was going in a loop, and quite possibly driving himself crazy. He knew that he was making his anxiety about the whole thing worse. It was time to suck it up, buttercup.

Taking a deep breath, Tony got out of the car, and straightened his suit. Armani. It was his best one. He needed the armor that it would provide. Taking a deep breath, he locked the doors, and quickly strode up the walk. He entered the house without letting himself hesitate. A part of him was screaming in his head to stop this madness. It was saying as long as they didn’t know there was still a chance.

The bigger part was pointing out that he couldn’t stand not knowing any longer. It was the bigger part that kept him moving forward. Through the entrance way, through the living room, into the kitchen, and over to the basement steps. Every step taken had him wondering if it was taking him closer to forever, or to the end.

Striding through the doorway and down the steps, Tony paused at the bottom, staring at Gibbs in disbelief. It never occurred to him that he wouldn’t be alone. Gibbs was always alone, unless Fornell was there. He obviously was wrong though, because the proof was right before his eyes.

They were watching him now. Gibbs with confusion, and more than a little irritation. She was… Her face held that mask that he’d become familiar with over the last day or so. That professional blank slate that hid what she was thinking. Unfortunately for them both, it hadn’t slid on fast enough. Not before he saw the look in her eye, before he heard the soft laugh escape her lips, and not before he saw how Gibbs was watching her back.

“DiNozzo, what are you doing here?” Gibbs ground out pulling back from her slightly, but not completely.

He could see the look in his eyes, as if daring Tony to make a single comment about it. As if he knew that Tony wouldn’t make a comment about it. The thing was 72 hours ago he might have been right. Before EJ, before the temporary amnesia, he might have kept his mouth shut, and just gone home to lick his wounds. Tonight, though, that wasn’t happening.

“You weren’t expected, Tony, maybe it’s better if you talk to Jethro in the morning at work?” She suggested, sounding all reasonable and shit. Too bad for her she had no idea what was about to come next. Maybe it wasn’t her fault, maybe she was an innocent victim in all of this, but right at that moment he was all out of fucks to give.

“Oh, no, I think this is right where I need to be,” Tony offered, wide grin plastered on his face.

He didn’t care if they both could see right through it. Damnit, it made him feel better having the mask there. So, he left it in place for as long as possible.

“I came to talk to you, Jethro.” Tony emphasizing the name she had used for the other man. A name he was never allowed to use, not even when his boss was dick deep in his ass. The name, when it came out of his mouth, was more brittle than the affectionate tone she had used.

“Tony, I don’t think…”

“No, you really don’t. So, I would suggest that you just keep out of this, and leave it to me and Gibbs. By all means, though, stay. I won’t be long.” When she moved to leave he stepped in her path. Maybe it was childish, but she wasn’t getting out of this. Not after she had so much fun picking at his brain.

“DiNozzo!” Gibbs barked sharply, but was cut off quickly.

“I came to tell you that I loved you, Gibbs.” Tony informed, and both of the other occupants of the basement shut up quickly.

“Oh, Tony…” She started again, but Tony cut her off too. He decided to pretend she hadn’t even spoken.

“I came to tell you that I loved you, Gibbs, because I need you. I need more than this weird fuck buddies thing we have going on. I need more than being on call for you at work, and on call after hours in your bed when you need to really pound your cock into something hard. Of course, I was unaware that I wasn’t the only one in this arrangement. After all, you made such a fuss at the beginning that there be no one else on my part.”

“Kinda hypocritical of you after you mooned all over that bitch, dontcha think, DiNozzo?” Gibbs sneered, and Tony’s smile was brittle.

“Not really. See, the difference here Gibbs, is that EJ and I were friends. We weren’t dating. We weren’t fucking. I was fond of her, yes. I cared about her, yes. I certainly don’t want her dead. However, I wasn’t dating her. I wasn’t FUCKING her. I wasn’t in a fucking relationship with her.”

“What… I don’t… Jethro? What is he talking about?”

“You had no right to try to ruin this, DiNozzo! Shut your fucking mouth! Rachel, he’s…”

“Telling the absolute truth, Dr. Kate’s Sister.” Tony said again, smiling his big, toothy, and fake as hell smile. “I mean you’ve been head shrinking the shit outta my brain. You know by now when I’m lying and when I’m not.

“See, I’m in love with him. We’ve been doing our thing for two years now. I am…” Tony stopped as the mask began to crack, but, with sheer will alone, he forced it to stay together. “I was here to tell him I wanted us to be together, really together, forever together. I guess that’s off the table though.”

He watched her look between him and Gibbs. He saw Gibbs reach out, and how she side stepped his touch. He saw the fury on Gibbs’ face. “Goddamnit, DiNozzo! Why do you have to fuck up everything?”

The mask cracked, again. It was only a matter of time before it shattered. Tony just hoped that it held up long enough for him to get out of there. “Why do I…. Gee, Jethro, I am sorry my love for you interfered with you landing wife #5. You competing with senior now? I think he’s still a few up on you.”

“Why in the fuck would I want to spend the rest of my life with you? What the fuck are you worth other than a good hard lay on occasion? Rachel is my forever. You’re just…” Gibbs waved a hand in the air, and reached for Rachel again.

“I was breaking it off with him. We haven’t been together since you and I got serious, Rach. You gotta believe me. He’s nothing compared to you. Hell, he’s nothing in general.”

Turning to Tony, Gibbs glared angrily. “I love Rachel, Tony, but not as much as I loved Shannon. Rachel understands that though. I care for you, but not the way I cared for Shannon, or even how I love Rachel. You’re just… not enough to fill either of their shoes. I’m asking you to move on.

“Move on from me, and NCIS. I can’t have you around anymore. You’re too tempting, and I won’t let Shannon be tarnished by your… inadequacy. I won’t let my future with Rachel be affected by your ineptness. You need to leave NCIS. I just don’t want you there anymore. You’ll see that it’s for the best. If you leave quietly, I won’t tell anyone this happened.”

Tony laughed hollowly, and shook his head. His arms moved to wrap themselves around his middle. “This is… Jesus Christ. So let me get this straight. You cheat on ME. You fuck the woman you sent to head shrink me. You get caught, and I am the one that loses everything? You really are a bastard. Word of warning, Dr. Kate’s Sister, one day he’ll turn on you, too. You’ll find out he’ll never have the balls to move away from his fucking precious dead wife as much as you’re quietly telling yourself that someday he will. I’m not enough, and neither will you be.”

Rachel narrowed her eyes, and lifted her chin. “I guess we’ll see about that. Jethro is right. It’s time that you move on, Tony.”

“Don’t fucking use my first name. You don’t have the right. I wish you two nothing but misery and heartache. Don’t worry, Gibbs. I’ll be gone by the time you get to work in the morning, you heartless coward.”

Turning, Tony ran up the steps, leaving the sight of Rachel stepping back into his arms behind him. He really did hope for nothing but the worst for them from here on out.

Several hours later, Tony wasn’t sure how he ended up in Fornell’s driveway. He wasn’t really sure of much since he had left Abby’s. No, not Abby. She didn’t deserve a place of affection in his life anymore. Not after last night. Not after…

He was trying to block out their argument. She was less sympathetic than he had hoped she would be. She was supposed to be his sister. Instead her Gibbs worship had overruled everything else. He told himself he should have known it would but…

She hadn’t believed him. She said that he was lying. There was no way Gibbs would cheat on someone. Tony obviously had deluded himself into some imaginary relationship with her Silver Fox. After all, Gibbs wasn’t even gay. Why would Tony make up something like that? It was wonderful that he and Kate’s sister were in love. There was certainly no way that Gibbs would kick him off the team.

“Abby’s rule #1, DiNozzo. You need to stop lying! Just… leave until you can tell me the truth. I don’t appreciate you trying to cause trouble for my Silver Fox like this.”

After that things were hazy. Tony’s gas gauge said he had been driving around for a while. It was hard to see the house because everything was blurry. Looking at the clock, Tony could see it wasn’t even 5AM yet.

He almost pulled back out of the driveway, but just as he was putting the gear shift in reverse, the front door opened. Tobias stepped out onto the front porch in his boxers and robe. He watched as the man came down the front steps and made his way to his door. The older man tapped on the glass, but Tony just turned his head to look at him. He could hear him talking, but the words just didn’t make sense. Everything was over. No team. No friends. No job. No Gibbs. Tobias’ voice was like the teacher on Charlie Brown all wah waah wah wah waah wah.

He heard more than saw the thump of something hitting his drivers’ side window, even though he was looking right at it. Blinking he tried to focus back on Tobias, but it wasn’t working. He saw his lips moving, but he had no idea what he was saying. Finally, when the older man started acting out putting the car in park, Tony nodded, and repeated the action hearing the doors unlock.

Almost immediately the door next to him opened. “Jesus, Tony, what… Let’s get you inside. Come on, Tone. Just… Never mind I’ll do it myself.”

Tony watched Tobias squeeze into the car as much as he could around his tall frame and thick chest.  The FBI supervisor turned off the engine before unlatching his seatbelt taking the car keys with him. Tony’s mind finally shut itself off leaving everything in Fornell’s hands.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Straightening, the older man tried to not let his panic grow. Just let him get the kid inside and laid down on the couch. Then he could make some calls, and figure out what was going on.

Getting him out of the car hadn’t been any less of a chore. He almost called Gibbs a few times, but he had left his cellphone inside. He was too worried about how the kid was acting to leave him alone to go get it. Fortunately, Tony eventually got with the program, and got out to follow him inside. When Tony was finally settled on the couch, Tobias took off his shoes, and tie. Then he went to find a blanket, and grab his cellphone.

When he came back, Tony was staring at his own cell. “You call Gibbs, kid?”

Tony’s head whipped up, and his eyes got big and suspiciously shiny. “FUCKING BASTARD! No! I’m not calling that uncaring prick! You fucking call him, and I am out of here!”

Tobias immediately held up his hands, just barely keeping his jaw from dropping open. If Gibbs was on the outs, this was a bigger deal than he suspected.

“I’m just checkin’ in with work, and tellin’ them I am working from home, Tone. Lay down ok? Here’s a blanket. Sleep will do you good. We can talk when you get up.”

Tobias tried not to frown, or take it personally, when Tony studied him for what felt like 15 minutes before finally laying down. Toby waited until he seemed to be completely asleep to move to the kitchen. Before leaving the room though he checked the cell. Tony had  sent a message to someone called TK.

“I need you.”

This TK had responded with “Am out of country, Cuz. Will make my way back, and be there within week. Take care of yourself, Poco Tino.” Huh, things were getting curiouser and curiouser.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gibbs stood on his front step the next morning watching Rachel drive off. He had luckily been able to convince her most of what DiNozzo was saying was bullshit. He had miscalculated there.

The kid had been needier than he imagined. To show up in the basement saying that he was in love with him? Gibbs snorted in disgust as he went back inside to get his gun and credentials so that he could leave for work still thinking about the scene in the basement the previous evening.

As if he would settle down with one of the play things. They all seemed to have a habit of forgetting their place. Of course if they didn’t break so wonderfully it wouldn’t be quite so much fun. Seeing the pain he carried every day reflected on someone else’s face was the whole point of it all.

When he reached work he was happy to see that Tony’s desk was cleared off. He was less happy to see that his medals were scattered all over his desk, but it figured that Tony would be so childish. Underneath them was a smashed phone he recognized as DiNozzo’s, the kid’s badge, and the locked box that the medals were normally in.

Digging around in his desk, he found the spare key the kid had given him years ago, and unlocking the box found DiNozzo’s service weapon. He’d have to con McGee into keeping the medals. That kid was truly spineless. He would be much easier to control than DiNozzo had. Tony was much too headstrong. That was his mistake, and he wouldn’t make it again. He was a marine after all.

When McGee and Ziva got in, they questioned what was going on. Ziva happily accepted the bullshit that he had plotted out. McGee would come around. It just might take a little bit longer than he liked.

                            

A week or two of being barked at, and he would be back to the stuttering wonder that Gibbs had hired him for. Fucking DiNozzo had to go and toughen the kid up. Well no big deal. He was Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He could make a crying shaking mess out of anyone. Timothy McGee would be stuttering, sniffling, and begging for his special attention in no time.


	2. Mark Sheppard & A Second Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A killer strikes. Then back in the present, Tony has some introspection. Then, he and Fornell have a chat. The truth comes out, and Tobias throws Tony a lifeline.

## 

**Banner by Rivermoon1970**

##  **Chapter Two:** _Mark Sheppard & A Second Chance_

_Location: Crowley, LA – June 2011_

The man was on his knees in front of him down on the ground. His head was flopped forward reflecting his near death state. Arms tied behind his back, hood over his head. This is justice. This wasn’t a human, it was an animal. An animal who escaped justice the first time around, but not his justice.

He was only doing the world a favor. There was a pool of blood forming underneath the man on the ground, but he ignored it. This man, this Mark Sheppard was an animal. He wasn’t human; this could be a trick. He knew better than to let down his guard.

He had to be sure that the monster was finally dead. He’d tortured him until he confessed his sin. It didn’t matter what the justice system had declared. It didn’t matter what the police claimed the evidence said.

The system could be manipulated. Police could be bought. The only way to guarantee justice was to enact it himself. Reaching out with his gloved hand, he gripped the man’s dark hair, and pulled his army knife out from where he’d kept it on his belt. He remembered what he’d been told all those years ago. “You can never go wrong with a good military blade.” The marine had been right. It was a wonderful instrument of justice.

Pulling Mark’s neck back he wrapped his arm around the man reaching for the other side of his neck, and in one slice cut open his throat from one side to the other. Then using the same knife, he cut Mark’s shirt off, and used it to wipe off his blade before putting it back.

Crossing the space to his bag he pulled out a container of Clorox wipes, a clean towel, a bottle of water, and a manila envelope. Taking each back to the body, he cleaned off Mark’s back. Then opening the envelope, took out a single  sheet. Peeling the plastic off the front, he pressed it to the monster’s back before wetting the cloth, and pressing it to the paper. Once he was sure that it would stick, he peeled off the paper, and ran the cloth over the tattoo. Once satisfied with the result, he stood and walked around the body.

It was done.

Justice had been served.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 _DC/Quantico area Friday September 23_ _rd_ _2011_

When Tony woke up he lay still with his eyes closed trying to remember where he was. He was laying on a couch too comfortable to be Gibbs’, and too short to be his own. His head throbbed, but he was pretty sure that he hadn’t been drinking.

Although, after the last few days, he thought maybe he should give himself an exemption from his getting drunk ban. As if EJ being, at best MIA, and at worst maybe dead wasn’t bad enough, Cade was dead, and hadn’t been guilty of anything. He had gotten amnesia which led to… Oh right. That was why he had a headache.

He went to profess his love to the man he had been in a relationship for almost three years, and had his hopes for the future steamrolled by the force of Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ complete bastard-ness. The prick had been cheating on him with Dr. Kate’s Sister. Who, as it turns out, not only likes to play mind games, but is also a boyfriend stealing bitch.

It didn’t really matter to him that maybe, or definitely, Gibbs didn’t consider Tony his boyfriend. Tony was told when they had started their, whatever-the-fuck it was, that there would be no other random women. Apparently that little caveat was only for Tony though. So, Gibbs got his happily ever after, while Tony got… well that seemed to be unclear.

He’d lost his shit. Completely. Abb… Sciuto. He’d gone to see… her. She accused him of making up lies. Strike someone else off of the trust tree. Hell, after that he practically burned the fucker to the ground except for the roots, which meant… Tobias Fornell.

He was at Fornell’s house. Opening his eyes, he turned his head to see his phone sitting on the coffee table. Checking the history, he made sure that he actually sent the text to his cousin. A week? Christ Tony hoped that he was just guesstimating to be on the safe side, and it wasn’t an actual time frame.

Tony wondered if the trust tree could be regenerated this time. Things were looking pretty bleak that was for sure. No job, no future, and only two friends left. Well… he hoped two. He hadn’t actually talked to Tobias. So, maybe the older man was just being kind. If Tobias called Gibbs the night before, after Tony’d gone to sleep, he was surprised the FBI agent hadn’t woken him up to kick him out. Gibbs and Tobias were pretty damned close, after all. Hell he might be the only real friend Gibbs had other than Ducky.

Ducky… Guh. No, Tony wasn’t thinking of him. Ab… Sciuto’s betrayal had been bad enough. Tony wouldn’t be able to handle it if the Duckman turned on him too.

So, avoidance was the way to go. Frankly, the way Tony was feeling, Gibbs might be right. A complete severance from NCIS was the way to go. Tobias, though, could not be avoided. So, it was time to get up, and face the music.

Wandering through the downstairs portion of the house, Tony found the kitchen thinking it would be the best place to start. He was right. On the kitchen table was a note and a bottle of Excedrin Tension Headache medicine.

Tony,

I went to get us some food. Coffee should still be drinkable. I made a new pot before I left. Please don’t leave! I want to help. I didn’t call, Gibbs. I did peak at your phone. I will be asking who TK is. Help yourself to the coffee, and the Excedrin.

I put towels out upstairs if you want to take a shower. Don’t have anything that would fit you, but I got your bag out of your backseat. It’s in the guest room. Take some drugs, take a shower, and I should be back when you’re done.

Tobias

Grunting, Tony put the note down, and opening the headache meds, shook two out before heading over to the counter to search out a mug. Using the coffee to swallow the pills, Tony headed back through the house, and upstairs to hunt for the bathroom. A shower sounded wonderful. It didn’t even occur to him to leave.

As he stood under the hottest water that wouldn’t scald his skin, Tony considered Tobias Fornell. He’d known the man a lot longer than either of them ever let on to Gibbs. The truth was, there was a lot more to Tony’s past than anyone at NCIS ever knew. While it was true that he worked in Peoria, then Philly, and then Baltimore, they weren’t all PDs.

His career was a lot more classified than anyone at NCIS suspected. At times he wondered if any of the directors knew. He had a feeling Marrow did. Tom Morrow was as sharp as a new tack. There was no way he hadn’t done his research on someone that was going to be on Gibbs’ team. Tony was realistic enough to know that an old backstory would only hold up to time for so long.

Jenny Sheppard, he thought probably had no clue what his real history was. She was the type that didn’t seem interested in digging too deep unless she had to, or thought she could exploit it somehow. She probably looked at his background, but it was doubtful that she had checked into anything to see if it was real or not.

While he might have come close to making her radar during the Benoit fiasco, he was pretty sure she hadn’t known. If she had, she would have known how Tony reacted to manipulation, thanks to his history. While he regretted that she died on his watch, that was about her being the director, not about who she was as a person. As a person, she was made from the same cloth as Gibbs: manipulation, backstabbing, arrogance, and believed that she was better than she was.

Leon Vance though… he was a real question. The man seemed to hate Tony’s guts, and had from the start. One could easily imagine that it was caused by Jenny’s death, but… Tony wasn’t so sure of that. He knew Gibbs had no clue, and while Tim and Ab… Sciuto were good, information like that wasn’t kept digitally back in 1997.

Besides that Tony was damned good at what he did. Neither of them were the type to look beyond the end of their noses unless they had a reason. Much like Jenny, he had made sure to not give them a reason to believe that he was anything more than an overgrown frat boy, who occasionally pulled it together enough to have a burst of brilliance. Another good reason why it might be time to leave NCIS. Tony was tired of living a Legend, and essentially that was what he’d been doing since… well since Philly.

Tony heard a knock on the door, and pulled out of his thoughts for a moment.

“What do you want in your omelet, Tony? I think I have just about anything. My fridge has more food in it now than it’s had on a non-Emily weekend in years.”

Laughing, Tony grinned and reached for the shampoo to wash his hair. “Do you have prosciutto?” He laughed again when he imagined the huff that he couldn’t hear from the other side of the door.

“I’m Italian, DiNozzo, of course I fucking got prosciutto. Quit insulting me.”

Lathering up his hair, Tony grinned big feeling happier than he had since… well since before he walked into that damned alley. “How ‘bout prosciutto, baby spinach, and gouda, Tobs.”

This time he did hear the noise at the nickname, but just laughed unapologetically. “Or I can call you Toby if you’d rather…”

“No, no… Tobs is fine DiNutso. Prosciutto, baby spinach, and Gouda it is. In fact I may have a copy of that myself. Breakfast will be ready in about 20 minutes. Come down whenever you’re ready.”

Tony thought the man had walked away, but after a couple minutes he heard, “Thank you for staying, Tone. I won’t break your trust. You have my word of honor.”

When he heard two taps on the door, Tony knew the older Italian had left this time, not expecting or waiting for a response. That was why Tobs was kickass. It was, also, why Tony had made the wrong decision in Baltimore. Broken trust can make you do stupid things. His had landed him at NCIS instead of the FBI when he left Baltimore. Tony wondered if he’d regret that decision until the day he died.

Once he was out of the shower and dressed, Tony picked up his coffee, now considerably cooler than he liked it, and headed downstairs. He would add some more to it, and hopefully Tobs had gotten some creamer to put in it. Reaching the kitchen, he headed straight toward the coffee maker to fill up his cup.

“There’s some flavored creamer in the door, kid. They had a Salted Caramel Chocolate I thought you’d like.”

Tony’s eyes lit up at the mention of it, and Tobias patted himself on the back in his head. The kid seemed much better than he had been earlier that morning. He wondered not for the first time if he was going to have to break Gibbs’ legs when this was all over.

More than once over the years he’d wanted to warn the stubborn man that he was treading way too close to an invisible line. While to be fair Gibbs hadn’t even known that the line existed, he had still come too close to crossing it. Tobias had a feeling that he finally had done it, and he wasn’t sure he would forgive the man for it. The last thing Tony needed was more people in his life letting him down.

Senior, Wendy, a former boss, a former partner, and even his mother to some extent had shown the young Italian that trust should not be given out lightly. Gibbs though… Gibbs had stormed into Tony’s life at a moment that he was particularly more vulnerable than normal.

Danny’s betrayal had come on the heels of the betrayal by his Team Leader during the Philly job, and been at exactly the wrong time. Tony had been desperate to have someone in his life that he could believe in. Because of circumstances, Tobias hadn’t been it, and he honestly didn’t blame the kid.

Gibbs though had seemed like just the person. For a while, he had lived up to both Tobias and Tony’s hopes and expectations. The last few years though, or actually since the old bastard had come back from his extended jaunt to Mexico, things between Tony and Gibbs had been off. Toby hoped that what he suspected had happened wasn’t true. If it was, if Gibbs had played one of his bed games with the younger man… Well, some friendships just weren’t made to be permanent.

When he heard plates rattling together behind him, he turned and was unable to withhold a smile as he saw Tony setting the table.

“Make sure you set a side plate, Tone. I have sticky buns in the oven.” The smile he got was well worth the effort, and the flack he would get from Emily for sharing their special breakfast treat.

Once everything was done, Tobias plated the two omelets, and carried them to the table. Tony had moved the hash browns, bacon and sausage, and sticky buns and biscuits as they got done. He was currently following with a plate of tomatoes. They each filled their plates, and dug in eating in silence.

Fornell was letting the kid eat before trying to get information out of him. He was hoping that Tony would open up on his own, if Toby was just patient enough. Sure enough, as the kid started putting more sticky buns and bacon on his plate he started talking.

“I don’t want you to be mad at me, as pathetic as that sounds.” Tobias heard offered quietly.

“Not gonna happen, Tone. Whatever you wanna tell me, we’ll work through. Unless you’ve broken some law, I’m not gonna get mad.” Tobias assured, and hoped it wasn’t his imagination that Tony seemed to relax a little at that.

“No laws broken, although maybe falling in love with your bastard boss who expects you to be faithful while he fucks your dead partner’s head shrinking sister behind your back should be.”

When Tobias found himself with a death grip on his butter knife, he forced his fingers to relax. Tony looked up, with more trepidation in his eyes than Toby liked, and he used every relaxation technique he had to calm down.

“I’m not mad at you, kid. I won’t lie and tell you that I’m not mad. I am, but I am not mad at you. If you’re comfortable with it, I would like to hear as much detail as you’ll give me. Will you tell me what happened?”

He again forced himself to relax, when Tony just studied him for what felt like an hour. Finally though he nodded, and seemed to relax himself further. “We were… we had… Well I thought that it was a relationship of sorts, but obviously I was wrong.”

“How long were you together?” Tobias asked quietly wishing he could get up and fill his coffee cup, but he afraid to move and startle Tony out of his headspace.

“Three years about. It started after I got back from being exiled to the ship.”

Tobias hoped that Tony didn’t ask him a question right then, because he was sure he wouldn’t be able to speak even if he had to. He was gonna kill Gibbs. It wasn’t as bad as he’d thought; it was worse.

The bastard had moved in when the kid had been at his most vulnerable. There was no way the prick hadn’t known exactly what he was doing. It was bad enough that he had played his bed games with the kid, but that he initiated them when Tony hadn’t even known which way was up… He might just literally kill the fucker.

“When we started he told me that if we were gonna do this then he wasn’t gonna share me with some floozy. He made it perfectly clear that there would be no one else other than him in my bed. I thought… I mean this is Gibbs. It never occurred to me that… I never imagined…”

Tobias sighed, and hoped that his gut was right on what was about to come out of his mouth. “They never do, kid.”

Tony’s head whipped up from where he’d been studying his hands. “They? What do you mean by they, Tobs?”

“You aren’t the only one, kid. Jesus, I’m sorry. Had I known this was going on, I would have warned you. This isn’t… You aren’t the first one, Tony. He does this occasionally. I doubt that it’ll make you feel better, but this is the first time that I am aware of that he’s gotten caught though.”

“I… I don’t…”

Tony took a deep breath and stared out the kitchen window for several long moments before speaking again. Tobias just let him be. He couldn’t imagine what the kid was feeling at that moment. Jesus, he loved the old bastard. Tobias could only hope that the love was more a possibility of love, or a need for love, and Gibbs being the chosen recipient on Tony’s part, than actual love.

“Was anything the way that I thought it really was, Tobs?” Tony snorted cynically.

“Gibbs wasn’t really the man that I thought that he was. Abby… Sciuto wasn’t the sister or best friend that I thought she was. Wendy didn’t really want to marry me. Was anything real? Has anything ever been real? Anything in my whole fucking life?”

“I am,” Tobias insisted quickly, and once again withstood the intense scrutiny of a man whose faith in humanity had been shattered.

“I know that it’s hard to believe right now, kid, but I am. I am your friend, and goddamned proud to be able to say it. You are an extremely smart, competent, and loyal man. Your faith in the good in people is remarkable, when you take into consideration what the world has done to you. You will recover from this. I know it, because I won’t fucking let any other outcome occur. I refuse to stand by, and let this bastard’s sex games destroy the amazing man that you are.

“As for Sciuto, hell kid, the only people she’s loyal to would be Gibbs and herself. I know it’s hard to believe now, but I also believe that I’m not the only one on your side. I’m guessing that TK, whoever he or she is, is on your side. I would bet a month’s salary that Ducky is on your side. I understand if you don’t wanna consider, or let him in right now. I would guess that he would understand, too.”

“Would you…” Tony started and stopped dropping his gaze to study his hands, again.

“Anything. Just name what you need, kid, and I’ll do it.” Tobias swore, meaning every word.

“Would you let him know that I can’t talk to him right now? I’ll call him or go see him at home when I’m ready. Tell him… tell him I’m sorry, and I hope he doesn’t hate me, too. You can… you can tell him the truth. I want… I want him to know the truth, not just whatever lie Gibbs is gonna come up with.”

“Of course, Tony. I’ll go see him sometime Monday.”

“Not at work,” Tony insisted quickly. “I don’t want Gibbs and them to know where I am… not that I know where I will be Monday.”

“I don’t see any reason why you won’t be right here with me, unless you don’t want to be. None of them will think to look for you here, I would bet. You might pull the battery from your phone so McGee and Sciuto can’t track you.”

“That isn’t my work phone.” Tony offered absentmindedly. His thoughts having latched onto the Monday part of Tobs’ previous statement. Which led to what the hell he was gonna do now that he was unemployed.

“I have two phones. One for work stuff, which had all their numbers, and one for TK. I left my other phone smashed on Gibbs’ desk, I think, with my badge and NCIS weapon.”

Tobias raised an eyebrow at the mention of the mysterious TK, again. “You know this TK shit is driving me crazy, kid.”

He figured the aggravation at not knowing was worth the glee the kid was getting from knowing something he didn’t.

Tony grinned big at the other man. He hadn’t had a ton of interaction with the other man in their… before NCIS time. There had been enough, though. for Tony to decide he was one of the rare good people.

“If you meant the whole, me staying here part, I would like to take you up on that. I’ll need to get some stuff from my place, but I figure, as long as I do it before Monday, I’ll be ok. I doubt Ziva or McGee will suspect anything much before then.

“This is Friday, so they might be a little suspicious, but I am guessing they’ll be happy enough to have me out of the way that they won’t question what they’re told. I don’t suppose that job offer is still good? I seem to be without employment currently.”

“If it comes down to it, of course it is. I have a feeling though that once my bosses find out that you’re a free agent, they’re gonna want more from you than being one of my Agents in Charge.”

When Tony cocked his head, and lifted an eyebrow, Tobias just held up a hand. “Let me make some calls before I discuss specifics. I don’t wanna get your hopes up, if one of them suddenly has had a dumbass attack, and can’t see how perfect you would be for… well… just trust me. Why don’t you run to your place and get whatever you need? Clothes, DVDs, or I even have a Blu-ray player, or whatever else you want.

“Then we’ll just chill out here for the weekend. You need a few days off before you get back into the rat race. Trust ol’ Uncle Tobs on this one. I want to see one of those movies you’re always going on about. So, educate me, kid.” The look of pure joy on Tony’s face told Tobias that he’d made the right call.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story, and all of my other works, are also being posted over at my Word Press site. There you will also have access to the character guide, and an acronym reference. You can find me at [AngelicInsanity](http://angelicinsanity.com). You can find the story hub at [Second Time Main Page](https://angelicinsanity.com/2017/01/26/second-time-main-page/)
> 
> Next week's chapter is new for those of you who read this on Rough Trade. I'm pretty damned excited about it, because it was fun to write.


	3. Double Oh McGeek

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something isn't adding up for Special Agent McGee. After a weekend of contemplation, and self-evaluation, he decides that he needs to change, and that there's something off with Gibbs' story. So, using the skills he's been taught by his now former co-worker, he decides to ferret out the truth. Enter Double Oh McGeek!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a Tony-less chapter, but I think you'll like it nonetheless. It was fun writing.
> 
> Not for Abby Lovers! 
> 
> Beta and Banner by the wonderful Rivermoon1970

##  ****

##  **Chapter Three:** _Double Oh McGeek_

 

Something was rotten in Denmark. Tim McGee recognized that he didn’t have either Gibbs’ or even Tony’s intuition, but he knew when something wasn’t quite what it seemed. Gibbs had informed them Friday that Tony quit without warning. He said that he wasn’t going to discuss it with them, but as far as he was concerned DiNozzo was an ungrateful child.

His boss then proceeded to rant that Tony didn’t understand the word loyalty, and he didn’t ever want to hear his name, again. Ziva had been amused and smug, as if she had known all along. Tim, however, had been more than a little confused at the abrupt shift in opinion. Not even 72 hours prior they’d been worried about Tony after the incident in the alley, and now he was persona non grata?

McGee recognized that he had been known to bitch about Tony, maybe more than he should. He had even on occasion listed Tony’s faults in a variety of orders, which over the weekend he came to regret. However, while Tony could be a child, he wasn’t ungrateful. Sometimes a little clueless, maybe, but never ungrateful. In fact, Tony was known to go overboard on the thanks for something that was just a small act of kindness. As for the loyalty part that was a complete joke.

Agents in NCIS had been calling Tony, Gibbs’ loyal St. Bernard for longer than Tim had even been on the team. If there was one thing that Anthony D DiNozzo, Jr. could NEVER be accused of, it was disloyalty. So, as much as it was painful for him to believe, he quickly came to grips with the understanding that Gibbs was lying.

He wasn’t just lying a little, he was lying about someone who had always been his staunchest supporter. It hadn’t been lost on Tim that, if Gibbs could turn on Tony, he would be able to turn on him even quicker.

Deciding that he needed to try and find out the truth, Tim took advantage of Gibbs’ absence, and headed down to see Abby. If anyone knew the truth, it would be her. Slipping off first to get a CafPow, Tim walked into the lab, and stopped next to where she was working on her computer.

“Timmy!” She greeted throwing her arms around his neck, before letting him go so that she could get to her addiction of choice. Biding his time, he waited her out listening to her replay of her weekend activities. When she finally wound down, Tim leaned a hip against the table so that he could watch her face. “I was wondering if you’d heard from Tony. I’m worried about him.”

“I haven’t talked to that big fat lying traitor, and I don’t plan on it either!” Abby shrieked, and turned to glare at him.

“What do you mean liar?” Tim asked frowning. While Tony could stretch the truth, he thought liar was a little harsh. Mentally, he added the word to the list of things that didn’t quite fit, like disloyal and ungrateful.

“He’s a big fat liar trying to turn this whole thing back on poor Gibbs! I haven’t talked to him, and I certainly don’t want to until he learns to tell the truth!”

Tim opened his mouth to reply, but quickly shut it frowning. If there was one thing Abby was really bad at, it was not telling the truth. In fact, she sucked at it on an epic level. He would never be able to explain what made him question her. Usually, he just left her to her bullshit excuses, and assumed that she had a good reason. This time though, he just… didn’t.

“If you didn’t talk to him, how do you know he’s lying about something? How do you know he’s trying to turn something on Gibbs?”

It didn’t really matter what came out of her mouth after that. The look of pure shock, followed immediately by the type of panic you felt after you got caught in a lie said it all.

“Are you questioning me, Timmy?” She screeched again, this time stomping her foot.

Frowning, Tim tilted his head to one side, feeling like he was just seeing her for the first time. Crossing his arms over his chest, he nodded. “Yes, actually, I am.”

The look of disbelief on her face said it all. She really would have been better off owning up to her lie at that point, but instead she decided to… well be Abby.

“Fine! I was trying to do a good thing for you, Timmy. I was trying to spare your feelings, because I know how much you look up to that lying bastard! See if I do anything nice for you again though! You’re gonna have to really make this up to me, Timmy. I am not sure I can forgive you for this so easily.”

Snorting, Tim held his ground, and glared at her. “What. Did. Tony. Say. To. You, Abby?”

“FINE!”

Stomping her foot again, he watched her pace away before coming back to stand directly in his space. Unfortunately for her, Tim knew what this was. He’d known bullies his whole life.

“He made up some big fat huge lie about Gibbs! Can you believe it? We really didn’t know him at all, Timmy. All this time he’s been a big fat lying bastard! I am telling you right now, when he comes crawling back, I’m not just gonna forgive him! No sir!”

Tim was highly unimpressed by her delay tactics. “You’re stalling, Abby. What did he say? Tell me now, or I am telling everyone the truth about that last boyfriend that we had to supposedly rescue you from.”

This time when she screeched, Tim was pretty sure only dogs could actually hear the sound. “HOW DARE YOU!”

“Talk, Abby, right now. Or, I’m going to Gibbs and telling him what you did to that poor guy, and how everything you told him was a made up piece of bullshit.”

“FINE! I’m not forgiving you for this though, Timmy! You’ll regret this!”

“Less threatening, and more factual information, Sciuto. Your conversation with Tony. Now!” He watched half amused as she crossed her arms across her own chest, and tried to glare at him.

“He showed up at my door at like… ten o’clock at night telling a bunch of big fat lies, about Gibbs.”

“Come on, Sciuto, details. I am sure Gibbs will be really disappointed if he finds out that you’re the big fat liar.”

“OH! YOU!” Abby gritted her teeth and glared, but continued.

“He was crying and hysterical like a little crybaby. It was pathetic! He had some bullshit story about how he and Gibbs had been in some… relationship. Supposedly Gibbsy was cheating on him with Kate’s sister Rachel. He went to tell Gibbs that he loved him, and found the two of them together. I mean it’s obviously bullshit!

“First off, Gibbs isn’t even GAY. Second off, if he was going to break rule number 12 with anyone here it would OBVIOUSLY be me. I am his favorite after all. Thirdly, how pathetic is he. Crying like a little child! He obviously had some weird crush on Gibbs. Instead of keeping it to himself he made some inappropriate comment, and got shot down. He probably humiliated Gibbs in front of Rachel! OH! He better not have screwed things up for them!”

Tim blinked at the unexpected news, and took a moment to process that information. Unlike Abby, he was unwilling to just believe in Gibbs’ words. Especially since he already had determined that things weren’t adding up. As much as it was hard to imagine Gibbs with a guy, it would actually make sense.

There had been times over the last few years where Tony’s loyalty and need for Gibbs’ approval had been a little much… unless they were sleeping together. He would like to say that he was surprised by Abby’s jealousy, but he wasn’t. Sometimes he wondered if the woman had any idea what she wanted out of her life. The fact that she wanted Gibbs as both a father, and a sex partner really said it all. Daddy issues much, Abby? He thought to himself.

“So, Tony basically came to you when he was vulnerable. Instead of helping him, you yelled at him, probably made fun of him because he was crying, and threw him out of your apartment.” Tim summarized with disgust.

The clearer this picture became, the more Tim hated it. It also made him realize that he wouldn’t be able to sit on the fence on this one. There were just some things that he couldn’t tolerate, and bullies were one of them.

The sudden sharp pain in his arm brought him back to attention just in time to catch Abby’s fist before it connected to his arm again.

“If you hit me again, Ms. Sciuto, I’m reporting you.” Tim offered quietly. Taking advantage of her shock, he released her hand, and moved toward the doorway.

Pausing before leaving, Tim looked at her over his shoulder, and frowned. It was becoming very clear, that nothing was as it seemed, and never would be the same again.

“You’re not the person that I thought you were. I’m not sure you ever were. Don’t contact me for a while. I’m gonna take some time off. I have some things to think about.”

Walking out, Tim, decided that he wasn’t even going to bother going to Gibbs. He didn’t have many allies in the building outside of the team, but fortunately for him, one of his strongest was the director himself.

Using all the sneaky back ways that Tony had showed him over the years, Tim managed to get to Ducky unobserved. He decided to get a second opinion before he went to see the director. There was a part of Tim that was hoping Ducky would tell him that he was just imagining things. The bigger part was hoping the older man would tell him to follow his heart.

On his way to the morgue, Tim had gone over his friendship with Tony in his head. He realized that he hadn’t always been very good at it. Knowing what he did about the other man, he could only imagine where his head was at. To make himself an emotional target twice in one night, and get shot down both times was just… It pissed Tim off just thinking about it.

When he entered the morgue, the sound of the doors alerted the elderly ME, as always. Fortunately for Tim, there were no bodies on the tables, and the new assistant Max was nowhere to be seen. “Ahh, Timothy! It is very nice to see you. I do not believe that I have any bodies for your team though. May I be of some other assistance for you?”

“Hey, Duck. Umm, where is Max?” Tim asked half expecting the quirky man to appear out of thin air.

“Young Maxwell is in class today. Were you looking for him in particular, or can I be of assistance?” Ducky asked straightening sensing something was afoot.

“Actually, I came to see you. Could we ummm… Do you think we could go into your office though? It’s kinda personal, and I don’t want someone to overhear us on accident. Tim fidgeted getting a little nervous. He had gotten better about being confident, mostly, he realized thanks to Tony, but it still wasn’t his strong point.

“Of course, Timothy! Follow me if you will.”

Tim followed Ducky, then went in when the older man held the door for him shutting it once they were both inside. As they both took a seat, Tim could see the ME studying him, which was making him more nervous. He expected that he was waiting for him to start, but suddenly his mind had gone blank. Finally he just took a deep breath, and let the words tumble out.

“Ducky, I think Gibbs and Sciuto are lying about why Tony quit. Well, I mean Gibbs is lying. I am mostly fully sure that he is. Sciuto is being… well Sciuto and… I mean you know how she is about Gibbs. She just refuses to see his faults, and, while normally it’s cute, this time I think she took to too far. I mean…”

Tim stopped the verbal vomit spewing from his mouth thanks to his nerves, and Ducky sat back and frowned. “It sounds like you have worked yourself into quite a state, Timothy. Why don’t you start at the beginning, and let me see if I can decipher what is going on here.”

Nodding Tim took a deep breath starting with what he knew about Cade’s death and ending with the conversation he just had in Abby’s lab.

The longer Timothy talked, the more upset Ducky was becoming. It was quite clear that both Abigail and Jethro were telling tall tales, and besmirching poor young Anthony’s reputation. Why the very notion of Anthony being disloyal, ungrateful, or as Abigail said a big fat liar was ludicrous. While it was true Anthony could spin a tale, he would never do so when it came to someone’s sexual orientation. He absolutely would not make up a relationship that did not exist.

Ducky also was well aware of Jethro’s… little games. While he never said anything to him about them, Ducky certainly did not condone, or find it amusing what Jethro did with those young men’s feelings. Prior to this, as far as Ducky was aware, he had always at least kept his detestable liaisons out of the office. To bind young Anthony in his web like an unsuspecting fly was both intolerable, and repugnant. Anthony was an emotionally vulnerable young man who, thus far in his life, had suffered the misfortune of attracting people who simply did not have his best interests at heart. Ducky never imagined, though. that Jethro would be one of them.

He had always considered the man his friend, but that did not mean that he was blind to his ‘Second B is for Bastard’ reputation. Ducky just never considered all of the consequences of it, it seemed.

“Ducky?” Tim’s voice brought him out of his thoughts, and back to the present.

“My apologies, Timothy, I am afraid that I got caught up in my own thoughts. I suspect that you might have come to me at least in some part hoping that I would dissuade you of your suspicions. I am afraid though that I can do no such thing. I have been, embarrassingly now that I am aware of Anthony’s entanglement in the act, aware of Jethro’s… detestable bed games, if you will, with poor unsuspecting young men who are looking for something more. He is quite adept at finding the right young men to capture in his web of lies and games. Why it reminds me of the time that…”

“Ducky, you’re saying I am right? Gibbs is lying to everyone about Tony leaving?” He saw Tim’s fist clenched in anger as Ducky himself nodded with regret.

“Quite so, Timothy.” Ducky confirmed regretfully. “I realize that this is a surprise to you, but I feel honor bound to ask, what do you plan to do with your knowledge?”

Tim bit his lip, and thought again about everything he knew, as well as the plans that had been forming in his head. Even after a thorough re-evaluation, it just felt like the right thing to do.

“I am going to go up, and talk to Director Vance. I am gonna tell him what I know, and ask for some time off. Ducky, I… I don’t know that I can stay knowing this. I never thought I would not be at NCIS, but… I just…

“I can’t work for Gibbs knowing, or at least suspecting, what we do about the things he’s done. I will never respect him again. I think I’m gonna give Tony a few days. Then I’m gonna hunt him down, and let him know that I have his six. I can’t… I think I’m going to have to quit, Ducky.”

Ducky nodded sadly, completely understanding the younger man’s point of view. “Will you give Anthony my regrets please, Timothy? I can understand that he may not wish to speak to anyone here again, but if he chooses to at any point in the future… I will always have a place for him.”

“Of course, Ducky! I am sure that once things settle, you’ll be one of the first that he calls.”

Ducky saw Timothy stand, rising himself. When the younger man stepped forward he happily offered him a hug.

“I promise I’ll keep in touch, too, Ducky. I mean if that’s ok that is.”

“Of course it is, Timothy! In fact, I insist on it!”

The younger man left the office, and Ducky sat pulling the bottle out of his desk drawer. With a heavy heart he poured himself a finger. He could only hope that young Anthony would this time find people who truly appreciate him, and that his own previous inaction hadn’t cost him a friendship he valued dearly.

Stepping into the waiting area outside Vance’s office, Tim was quite proud of himself. Not only had he avoided Gibbs and Ziva, but he hadn’t seen anyone else along the way. He was also pretty sure that he avoided all, or at least. the majority of the cameras along the way. He felt like he was doing his friend an honor using the skills Tony taught him to do right by the former Senior Field Agent.

He wouldn’t put it past Abby to be tracking him. Stepping up to Cynthia’s desk, McGee tried not to let his nerves overtake him again. ‘Tony would do it for you, so suck it up McButtercup,’ he told himself sternly as he smiled at the overworked administrative assistant.

“Is Director Vance available, Cynthia? I need a moment of his time, and umm… I need Gibbs not to know just yet, please?” Cynthia was as unflappable as always and, with the exception of a raised eyebrow, simply called into her boss’ office to inform him that Tim was wanting to see him.

“He says that you can go right on in, Special Agent McGee. Good luck with whatever it is.” She offered kindly, and McGee smiled and nodded. Tony had always held the woman, who had survived longer than the last two directors, in high regard. Stepping up to the door, Tim took a deep breath before opening it, and walking in, shutting it firmly behind him.

“Agent McGee, this is a surprise.” Vance offered standing up behind his desk, and waved a hand to the chairs in front of it.

“Please, have a seat, and tell me what is on your mind.”

Nodding Tim sat, and tried not to fidget. He ran all the ways to handle this situation through his head on the way up. He went over everything he had learned, everything he had seen Tony do, and everything Tony had told him about confrontation. In the end he only really saw one way to go about this.

“Permission to speak freely, sir.” Tim requested. Although he lifted his eyebrow, Vance nodded without reacting otherwise.

“This is about Tony, sir. I know that you don’t particularly like him, and to be frank sometimes you treat him like a dick. I need to know that you’ll listen though, because this is important.”

Tim saw the director’s mouth drop open, and the toothpick that he had between his lips dropped out to fall, most likely. onto the floor. He guessed that it was because the last person that the man ever expected to call him a dick was his handpicked perfect NCIS Agent. When the man nodded looking somewhat shocked, he proceeded with what he had to say.

“I don’t know what Tony told you about his resignation, and I don’t know what that boss of mine told you about it either. I figure though, if it is anything like what he told me, it’s a pack of lies. I think you need to know the truth. Because to be frank sir, it’s cost you not one agent, but two. This conversation is the last I will have with you as an employee of NCIS.”

Vance was pretty sure that he was in shock, or he was having some horrible nightmare. To be honest, he hadn’t been too awfully upset when he saw the resignation from DiNozzo Friday morning when he came in. Tom Morrow had been on him since he took over the director position to look deeper into DiNozzo. He kept insisting that he was doing both himself and the agency an injustice by simply following the fairytale that was Very Special Agent DiNozzo’s personnel file.

Until now, though, he hadn’t seen anything in the actions of his agent that told him Tom knew what he was talking about. Sighing, Vance swore inside of his head, knowing that he was going to have to call the man and apologize. Morrow was such a smug bastard with the ‘I told you so’ game.

“Would you tell me what is going on, Special Agent McGee? You are a valuable member of this agency, and I would hate to lose you. I am sure that we can work something out.”

“With all due respect, sir, there isn’t. I refuse to work for an agency that holds that bastard Gibbs in such high regard. Not only that, but I feel like I owe Tony too much for everything that he’s done for me and taught me, since I started on Gibbs’ team to remain here.

“Unlike the horrible things that Abby and Gibbs are saying about Tony, he’s the most loyal person that I know. I know sometimes my actions haven’t reflected it, but I know that I wouldn’t be here today without him. I wouldn’t have made it a week on Gibbs’ team if he hadn’t been there standing firmly between me and that… asshat.”

As he watched, Tim took a deep breath and then proceeded to tell the story of what he learned about why Tony quit. When he was done, the younger man just folded his hands together, and looked at him not speaking another word. He appeared much calmer than he had when he came in, and it was apparent that there would be no changing his mind.

Vance on the other hand felt like he had been run over by a truck. His most trusted Agent in Charge had violated the fraternization rule. Not because of a genuine romantic interest, but so that he could get a booty call. Because of it, he lost an agent that, according to Tom Morrow, was more valuable than anyone else NCIS employed in Anthony DiNozzo Jr,, and he was also losing his own ideal agent in Timothy McGee.

“To be honest, McGee, I don’t really know what to say right now. While I don’t like what happened, with DiNozzo no longer employed here, no matter what I wish otherwise, I’m not sure there is much I am going to be able to do. As the director of NCIS I would strongly urge you to reconsider leaving, and feel it my duty to tell you that no one else will appreciate your skills as much as I and NCIS do.

“The man in me however applauds you for sticking by your friend. It is rare in this world we live in, but especially in this town, and in the political atmosphere of our jobs, to see such commitment to loyalty. Tony is lucky to have a friend like you that is willing to take such a step into the unknown for the simple reason that it is the right thing to do.”

Tim shrugged and stood. “I’m the lucky one, Director Vance. Tony DiNozzo taught me everything that I know about loyalty, honesty, and standing by your friends even in the face of unquestionable evidence of wrongdoing. I haven’t, unfortunately, always reciprocated the trust and loyalty he’s shown me. I think it’s about damn time I change that.”

Leon couldn’t help but be moved. He knew that he was losing something valuable between these two fine young men. He would definitely be looking deeper into those files as Morrow suggested.

Standing he came around his desk to shake the younger man’s hand. “You have nothing but my highest regard, Tim. If anything changes, you will always have a place in this agency. If you talk to Tony, please let him know that I will be contacting him. I have some research to do first, but once that is done, I would like to talk to him. He has my word that I won’t ask him to come here.

“I’ll tell Gibbs you’re on assignment for me. It will give you some time to get settled before they come looking for you. Just leave your gun and badge with security after you clear your desk. I won’t disable them until you have time to clear out your things. I am sure you’re going to want to do so after hours.”

Tim nodded and shook the man’s hand. He was glad that he had done this. Now he was going use his stealth skills to get out of the building. He would  return sometime over the next weekend to clear off his desk. No sense in prolonging the inevitable, but he wanted to give Tony time to get a plan together before the hyenas came for him.

He had no doubt that Gibbs and Abby would be out for blood once the truth all came out. When that happened, Tim was going to do his best to be right by Tony’s side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed McGee's sluthing!
> 
> Next week, we find out about the secret job Fornell's been keeping to himself. Also, there may be love in the air, and someone unexpected may possibly be a Lady Gaga fan.


	4. Going Back to Where You Belong & Born This Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony finally learns about his job offer, and after consulting TK, he lands himself his dream job. In the process, he gains himself a new prospective romantic interest, and Dave uses Lady Gaga to get what he wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is more lighthearted, as there's a few giggles in this one. Hope you enjoy it!

Banner by Rivermoon1970

 

##  **Chapter Four:** _Going Back to Where You Belong & Born This Way _

When Tobias came down Monday morning, Tony was sitting at the kitchen table dressed and ready to go. His suit coat was hanging on the back of a chair, so as to not get wrinkled. His tie was hanging around his neck ready to be knotted. In front of him was a cup of coffee, a glass of orange juice, some toast, and what appeared to be a bowl of oatmeal. “Anxious much, Tony?”  
   
“I want to make a good impression,” Tony mumbled, as he looked through what Tobias guessed was the sports section. The business section was already laid to the side and appeared to have been read. When Tony stood and crossed to the coffee maker, Tobias studied what he had on.  
   
“Is that a Brioni Brunico Super 150’s?”  
   
Tony smiled and abandoned the cup on the counter to put on his jacket and show off a little. “Yes, along with my favorite Salvatore Ferragamo Destin Loafers, and my Rubinacci Medallion-Print tie.”  
   
“Jesus, DiNozzo, I would say you’re gonna make a good impression alright.”  
   
Tony nodded and wandered over to finish his coffee. “Are you eating, or can we go?”  
   
Fornell looked at the clock and knew they’d be plenty early if they left then. But, one look at the kid’s face told him delaying was a bad idea. “Let’s go, kid. No time like the present.”  
   
Tobias expected that they would have to wait, while the weekly Monday AM Meeting with the BAU was over. Because he hadn’t expected that they would be shown in immediately, he hadn’t warned Tony that there would be someone other than Associate Director Evans, and Section Chief Cruz there. Of course, that also meant that Tony didn’t have time to school his face when he saw Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner.  
   
From the smirk of amusement on David Rossi’s face, Tony wasn’t the only one that was interested. Tobias didn’t know Aaron as well, so he couldn’t tell if he returned the interest, but Tony on the other hand…  
   
The nervous ‘I have to be on’ turned into relaxed charm the second that he saw Hotchner. Fornell was also pretty sure that he even saw a smile on Hotchner’s face, which from what the grapevine said is something like Gibbs smiling. When the two men shook hands, he half expected little cartoon hearts to fill the office, and baby cupids in diapers to start flying around letting arrow’s fly.  
   
“Aaron Hotchner, Unit Chief of the BAU. That’s the….”  
   
“Behavioral Analysis Unit.” Tony finished, with a grin on his face that could only be described as flirty with more than a little ‘I want to get in your pants as soon as possible’ mixed in with it.  
   
“I’ve heard of you guys. Read a few of Special Agent Rossi’s books. Read a few of Dr. Reid’s papers. You’re new, but… I am sure I can find something to study about you. Tony DiNozzo formerly of NCIS’ Major Crime Response Team, hopefully soon to be here with you all. I have to say, so far the faces here are much… friendlier.”  
   
When Hotchner actually laughed and then blushed slightly, Fornell’s eyebrows almost reached his hairline, which was somewhere on the back of his head. His eyes darted to Rossi, and he was happy to see the older man was not only equally as shocked, but as equally unable to hide it.  
   
A quick glance at Cruz and Evans showed they were more than slightly amused by the whole thing, which was good. The last thing Tony needed was to gain a new love interest and lose his dream job. Tobias had no doubt in his mind that this would turn out to be his dream job.  
   
When Associate Director Evans finally coughed and brought Aaron and Tony back to the present, it was almost comical to see the two of them practically jump away from each other.  
   
“Aaron, Dave, I hope you don’t mind if we cut our meeting short. We’ve been waiting a long time to get this man back on our side, and away from NCIS. I’d like to strike before he changes his mind.”  
   
“Not at all, sir, I will get those budget proposals to you as soon as possible. Tony, it was very nice meeting you. I look forward to seeing you in the hallways.” Hotchner offered seemingly unable to keep his eyes off Tony for long.  
   
Tobias watched the two men shake hands seemingly oblivious to the rest of them.  
   
Dave finally took matters into his own hands and slapped Aaron on the back. “C’mon, Lover Boy. Let’s go so the man can get his new job offer. There’s plenty of time for mooning later.”  
   
Tobias smirked and returned Rossi’s nod as the elder profiler herded his protégé out of the office. He then watched amused as Tony seemed to remember where he was and proceeded to immediately turn a dialed back version of the DiNozzo charm on his hopefully new bosses. John suggested that they move to the conference room next door, and picked up a stack of folders, then led them out.  
   
Much to his amusement, Dave and Aaron appeared to be arguing quietly at the end of the hallway, before Aaron ushered Dave into an office. Hotchner’s face looked to be a distinct pink color. If only he were a fly on the wall to overhear that conversation.  
   
Following the others into the conference room, he made sure that he set himself next to Tony. As well as the interaction with Hotchner went, he knew that Tony was still on very shaky, uneven ground emotionally. He wanted to make sure that nothing unexpected happened in this meeting to throw him off even more.  
   
“So, Special Agent DiNozzo, it’s nice to have you back with us. I want you to know that both Mateo and I have been read in on your last assignment with us, which led to your leaving. On behalf of the Director and the rest of the FBI, you have my deepest apologies for being put in that position.  
   
“An agent working for the other side is a black mark on everyone, but when it is the Agent in Charge, and the one that you are trusting your life also… Well, I certainly don’t blame you for going somewhere else. That said, I am glad that you are willing to give us a second chance.”  
   
Tony studied AD Evans, and finally nodded, if somewhat stiffly. “I’ll be honest. I’m here because of Tobs… err Unit Chief Fornell. My trust with the rest of the FBI is shaky at best right now. Things at NCIS though became… Well, let’s just say I had to leave for personal reasons. I don’t really want to expand on that if I don’t have to. It wasn’t… It wasn’t about NCIS per say. Let’s just chalk it up to 10 years under Gibbs being enough, shall we?”  
   
“That’s fine with us, Agent DiNozzo.” Section Chief Cruz offered. “We’ve been advised by Director Vance that there is no ill will on the part of NCIS in your leaving. Although, he did express that it was a rather sudden departure.”  
   
Tony smiled tightly. “Things tend to change without warning, sir. I am sure you know how it is. One day people are friends and the next… well… the next they aren’t.”  
   
AD Evans waved a hand in the air. “Enough about that. NCIS is in the past, and hopefully, you are going to be a part of our future.”  
   
Distributing the files he’d carried in, the Evans sat back in his chair. “We’ve been wanting to create a special team under the purview of Section Chief Cruz. We’re calling it the Elite Undercover & Investigative Unit or EU&IU for short. We want you to run it, Tony. For the first year, at the most, Tobias would be the Unit Chief. After that, as long as things work out as well as I am expecting them to, you would be moved up to the Unit Chief position. There is even the possibility that the promotion happens sooner than that year deadline.  
   
“You will be allowed to pick you own team members, in fact, I am insisting on it. The entirety of the FBI is available for your picking. We’re also more than happy to take people from outside the company if you think it’s needed.  
   
“We’re thinking six people with two of those people being skilled as technical analysts. At least one of those needs to also be skilled in either undercover or investigative work or both. Because of the nature of your team, we need to make sure that we have a wide range of undercover options available.”  
   
When Evans took a drink of water from one of the bottles on the table, Cruz took over the explanation. “Not all of our teams have skilled undercover agents on them, but at times they have found that having such an agent available to them would be an asset. Mostly these teams are investigative teams that are dealing with a range of crimes that do not include things like drugs, gun smuggling, and human trafficking. Those teams generally are made up of skilled undercover agents. The teams that would need your assistance are, for example, Unit Chief Hotchner’s BAU team. The Behavioral Analysis Teams generally are not made up of undercover agents.  
   
“Now Aaron does have two members of his current team with undercover experience, but they are not always the best options for what they need. There are also times when they need an undercover agent from the Bureau that the locals or witnesses haven’t come in contact with. That is where your team would come in. You would send one of your people in to assist with the undercover aspect.”  
   
A.D. Evans took back over the explanation at this point. “The flip side of the coin is that our undercover teams are not always skilled investigators. Obviously, they have investigative experience, but mostly the intricate, time taught details of the investigation are not their strong points. They at times need someone who can come in with an investigative outlook to point them in a better direction to help accelerate or get undercover operations back on track. Again, that is where your team would come into play.  
   
“You are not only a top notch undercover agent, your reputation as an investigator is even stronger, DiNozzo. Frankly, we don’t have anyone else currently in house with better qualifications for this job than you do that also has leadership experience. I hope that we can overlook the past FUBAR, and get you back on our side.”  
   
Tony sat back in his chair stunned. He’d expected maybe at best they’d bring him in as a Second in Command on one of Fornell’s Teams. Not only were they wanting to give him his own team, he’d be a Unit Chief in a year or less. The ability to pick his own team members was a very bright lure.  
   
“Will I be stuck in the office all the time, or will I be able to go out into the field once I become Unit Chief?”  
   
Section Chief Cruz, quickly, shook his head. “You will definitely be expected to go into the field when needed, especially when working an investigation request. We are aware that you are still more than capable as a field agent. We don’t want to lose that.  
   
“Again, referencing UC Hotchner’s team, he is in the field on every case. Your team will work slightly different, but we will gladly have you in the field when you feel it is necessary. No one wants to chain you to a desk yet, DiNozzo. Hell, I’ve been known to go out into the field myself, when it’s needed.”  
   
Tony knew that he should stop and consider his options, maybe hear what another agency had to offer. The thing was he didn’t want to. He wanted… no, he needed to move on, and quickly. The fact that Tobias had brought this to his attention led something to his trust of the situation. Just as he was about to speak, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Knowing his cousin was really the only one who contacted him on that number, he decided that it was a sign.  
   
“Do you gentlemen mind if I step out for a moment to check my phone?”  
   
“Of course, Tony, take your time.” Assoc. Director Evans offered, and Tony quickly stepped out into the hall. After confirming that it was, in fact, a text from his cousin, Tony hit dial without bothering to read the message.  
   
“Where are you?” He asked immediately when the phone stopped ringing.  
   
“Did you even bother to read the message, Pico? I am in the area. Where are you? I know you haven’t been home. What’s going on?”  
   
Tony moved further down the hall finding what appeared to be an unoccupied conference room. Stepping inside, he shut the door leaving the lights off so no one would know he was in there.  
   
“I went to talk to Gibbs. I wanted to… I wanted to tell him how I felt. We were right about SecNav’s assignment. It blew up in my face. Ended up in the hospital with temporary amnesia. Gibbs called Kate’s sister.”  
   
“That bloody bitch?”  
   
“Yeah, pretty much. Anywho… long story short. Once things were over I went to see Gibbs to tell him finally… He wasn’t alone.”  
   
“WHAT? I’m going to kill the bastard! All this time he’s demanded your faithfulness, and he’s been plowing some floozy?”  
   
“Apparently. According to Tobias Fornell, he does this on occasion. Only it gets better. Things were said, and… he demanded I quit NCIS. Said that it was for the best.” Tony snorted as his cousin cursed quite colorfully in several different languages.  
   
“I am killing him!”  
   
“No, you aren’t. I need you outside prison.”  
   
“Please, like those worthless imbeciles could catch me. How does that bloody FBI agent come into this?”  
   
Tony sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I sorta ended up at his place after… Well, I tried Ab… Sciuto first but…”  
   
“Let me guess. She was on one of her Gibbs is perfect tears. I know you cared for her, Pico, but frankly good riddance. Eventually, I think that you will see that you are better without her. So, you are at Fornell’s?”  
   
“Not exactly, I am at the Hoover Building. They sorta just offered me a job.”  
   
“They… tell me all of the details. Now.”  
   
Smiling, Tony proceeded to fill his cousin in on everything he’d been offered knowing that he wouldn’t steer him wrong. When he was finished, he waited silently for the man to respond.  
   
“It pains me greatly to say this, but you would be a bloody fool to do anything but take that position. I would shoot you if you tried to get into the CIA. Homeland might be able to compete but… If you even considered the NSA I would do worse than shoot you. Take the damned position, Pico, and then meet me at the Safe House at 7 PM. Bring your new best friend. I think it’s time we meet officially.”  
   
Tony chuckled, as the call ended without further goodbyes. He didn’t know what it was about people, who liked to hang up without bothering to say goodbye like a civil human being.  
   
Putting his phone back in his pocket, Tony made his way back to the conference room. After draining half of the bottle of water in front of him, Tony smiled at the men on the other side of the table. “I have been informed that I would be a bloody fool not to accept your offer. So, I accept.”  
   
Director Evans smiled and stood to reach across the table to shake Tony’s hand. “Welcome back home, Special Agent in Charge DiNozzo. Welcome home.”  
   
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
   
Aaron was walking down the hallway headed toward the elevator with Rossi just behind his left shoulder when his friend put a hand on his arm and stopped him. Frowning, Aaron allowed himself to be stopped in the middle of the hallway.  
   
When Dave just looked at him a moment, Aaron found himself crossing his arms over his chest defensively. “No profiling team members, David.”  
   
“Why didn’t you tell me that you were interested in men too, Aaron? Did you think that I wouldn’t support you?”  
   
“Dave, what are you…”  
   
“Don’t give me this, I’m not into guys bullshit, Aaron Daniel Hotchner! If we’d left you and that DiNozzo kid alone you’d currently be doing the horizontal mambo in the AD’s office. So, why the hell didn’t you tell me you were into guys? I’ve known you for 10 years, Aaron! Hell, I knew you before you were married!” Panicked, Aaron pulled Dave into a nearby vacant office, and just hoped that whoever it belonged to didn’t return soon.  
   
“I’veneverdoneanythingaboutit,” Aaron muttered, and Dave scowled. “My feelings are hurt, Aaron Daniel. Enunciate, or I am sending Reid in here to give you a history of gay porn in Europe. Trust me, it’s much raunchier there.”  
   
“How do you know that?” Aaron asked frowning.  
   
Dave huffed. “I don’t. I made it the fuck up. Stop procrastinating, princess! When the fuck did you get interested in guys, and why in the hell didn’t you tell me?”  
   
Aaron lifted an eyebrow. “I’ve always been into guys. Sexual orientation is something you are born with, not something that’s created after birth. Maybe you’re the one who needs a lecture from Reid. I am thinking a complete analysis of sexual orientations, followed by the complete Lady Gaga collection. We can start with Born This Way.”  
   
Rossi opened his mouth and closed it frowning. “You listen to Lady Gaga? Are you serious?”  
   
Aaron blushes and shrugs. “She has a catchy tune or two, David. You know there is more to music than Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.”  
   
“Bite your tongue, Hotchner, and start talking!!”  
   
Stepping back, Aaron leaned against the closed door, so that no one could get in. “I’ve known that I was into guys since at least my junior year in high school, but you know about my father. My mother isn’t much better in that regard. It wasn’t like I could do anything about it. Then I started dating Haley, and just… didn’t stop until we got divorced. So, it isn’t like I have an extensive dating or sexual history. Why the hell are we talking about this now?”  
   
“Because you are lurking here until DiNozzo comes out of that office.”  
   
“Why the hell would I do that?” Hotch asked scowling. He hated it when Dave decided to take an interest in his love life.  
   
“Because you are obviously interested in him. Very interested, if the eye fucking and blushing and flirting is any indication. Not to mention, he’s obviously interested in you. So, you’re asking him out, or else.”  
   
Aaron lifts his chin not afraid of Rossi and his threats. “What are you gonna do if I don’t, Dave? Have me whacked? You cut all those ties, remember?”  
   
When Rossi just smiled sweetly, Aaron knew he was screwed. “No, Aaron. See, I don’t have to do that. You are going to ask Anthony DiNozzo out on a date, or I am telling one Penelope Garcia that you’re a HUGE fan of Lady Gaga. How long do you think it’ll be until the whole office knows, and she makes you go to a concert?”  
   
Aaron’s eyes got big. “You bastard.”  
   
Rossi just smiled sweetly again. “As you just pointed out, Aaron, I learned from the best. So…?”  
   
“Call my cell if you need me. I will be here… lurking.”

 


	5. The Meeting of the Roots & Taking Chances with Broken Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobias finally gets to meet the famous, or is it infamous, TK. Tony's remaining roots come together finally, much to his delight. Then, in a flashback scene, he reminisces on a second chance that he's being given on a shot at love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't recognize most of season 13 of NCIS and I certainly don't pay attention to that Tony Exit. Needless to say, their reality is not my reality. That will be reflected here.
> 
> Enjoy!

 Banner by Rivermoon1970

 

##  **Chapter Five:** _The Meeting of the Roots & Taking Chances with Broken Hearts_

 

  
 “Why are we coming here, DiNozzo? Surely your return back where you belong deserves better than… wherever the hell we are. This isn’t some kind of ambush, is it? Why are we in some back alley?”  
   
Tony rolled his eyes at Tobias’ bitching and walked up the steps to pull open the bright red door. “TK loves this place and wants to meet you. In fact, it was demanded. So quit whining, and get your ass inside.”  
   
“TK?” Fornell questioned stepping inside and looking around. “Why the hell didn’t you say so? Where the hell are we?”  
   
“Welcome to the Spy House gentlemen. How many in your party?” The hostess greeted as Tony stepped up to her and looked at her name tag.  
   
“Hi, Rachel, we are meeting someone here. It would be Paddington if they’ve already arrived.”  
   
“Your other party has arrived, and been seated. Follow me this way gentlemen.”  
   
As they followed the woman through the restaurant, Tony looked at Tobias over his shoulder. “If you say his real name he’s going to be less than amused, Tobs. So, just don’t do it ok? Just use TK.”  
   
Not understanding why in the hell he would know Tony’s cousin’s name, Tobias nodded readily. He was thankful for the warning a few seconds later when they reached their table. “Holy shit! That’s your cousin! He tried to kill you!”  
   
Tony rolled his eyes and stepped forward to hug his cousin. “If he wanted me dead, I’d be dead, Tobs. Hush it and sit.”  
   
When they were all seated, Tony made introductions. “TK meet Tobias Fornell. Tobs meet my cousin TK.”  
   
Trent just glared at the older man. “Whose bloody idea do you think it was for Poco Tino to be in the damned limo? The bastard wanted to kill him immediately. I convinced him that it was better to do it later. If you or the FBI screw over Tino this time I’ll bring the roof down on the whole lot of you bloody bastards.” Trying to gather his footing, Tobias just nodded and studied the menu to give himself a breather. Trent fucking Kort was Tony’s cousin? Jesus. Gibbs was a dead man.  
   
Once they had all ordered, Trent glared at Tony, who just smiled amusedly. “Did you take the bloody job, Poco?”  
   
Tony nodded his head. “Yes T, I took the bloody job. I am in need of some agents to fill out my team. They have some suggestions for the SIC, but it’s not a demand. The rest are completely up to me.”  
   
Trent nodded stroking his chin. “I have been thinking about this little dilemma. I have someone I would like to recommend. I would actually consider it a favor if you chose him for your team.”  
   
Tony studied his cousin with his head cocked to one side. “Fill me in.”  
   
Trent took a flash drive out of his pocket and handed it to Tony. “His company file, and other necessary information I think that you might be interested in. He’s one hell of an agent. You won’t be able to find a better undercover agent.”  
   
“If he’s so great, why doesn’t the CIA want him?” Tobias grouched still not happy with this surprise. Trent seemed to be equally unimpressed by his presence, as Tobias received a matching glower.  
   
“I never said the CIA didn’t want him. I am the one that would like to see him someplace better suited to his… morals. He’s a good man.”  
   
Tobias snorted and nodded. “That explains it then.”  
   
Tony just rolled his eyes at the two of them. “Children, please. Look, TK, I’ll check out this information, but it’s just a formality. Consider him hired. I trust you more than anyone on the planet.”  
   
Scooting his chair back and standing, Tony grinned at the two men. “I am going to the little boy spy’s room. Don’t kill each other while I am gone, please?”  
   
The second Tony was out of sight Trent glared at Tobias. “OK Fornell we don’t have much time, so I am going to make this simple. If the FBI screws him over again, I will come after you first. Do try and remember I have a lot of less than savory contacts who wouldn’t think twice about offing some random FBI agent.”  
   
Tobias wanted to be offended. However, if Trent was really as important to Tony as he seemed, then he appreciated what the man was doing for his family. “Are you gonna kill Gibbs?”  
   
Trent scowled but didn’t speak as the waitress came to take their drink orders. Once she left he shook his head. “Tino would be angry with me if I did. Otherwise, trust me, he would never be seen again.” Tobias nodded and reminded himself not to piss this man off. Only Tony could wrangle a CIA agent into being his personal protector.  
   
Tony chuckled as he headed to the men’s room. Leaving Toby and Trent alone together may not be the smartest thing he’d done recently, but he was fairly sure they’d both be at least alive when he got back. He didn’t really need to pee, but he did need a few moments alone to think about what happened when he came out of his meeting with Evans and Cruz.  
   
~~*~~ Flashback ~~*~~  
   
Tony came out of the conference room and shook both men’s hands once more. Tobias was lingering behind to speak with his bosses so Tony was meeting him at the elevator. He was pleasantly surprised to see UC Aaron Hotchner lingering in the area once he got there.  
   
“Waiting for me?” He couldn’t resist asking. The man was sex on legs. As much as he was pained by Gibbs’ betrayal, Tony had never been one to deny a sexy body whether it was male or female.  
   
“Actually yes,” the profiler offered, and Tony paused surprised before grinning big. Moving closer to the other man he tilted his head to one side flirtatiously.  
   
“How can I assist you Unit Chief Hotchner?”  
   
“Well, first you could call me Aaron.” The other man requested, and Tony nodded.  
   
“Consider it done, as long as you call me Tony. And second?”  
   
“Let me take you out to dinner? I was thinking tomorrow night as long as a case doesn’t come up. I am sure you and Tobias will be celebrating tonight, but… I would like to see you.”  
   
Tony’s first instinct was panic. Harmless flirting was one thing. Tony did that like breathing. A date, though… “I would love to.” He almost didn’t realize he’d spoken until he saw the happy smile on Aaron’s face.  
   
“Wonderful! Here’s my card. I wrote my cell number on the back. I thought it would be easier to just coordinate tomorrow? I wasn’t sure what your schedule would be.”  
   
Tony nodded taking the business card letting their fingers brush together, and not bothering to suppress a shiver of delight. “I will let you know when I do.”  
   
Tobias came up right then, and the two men stepped back apart. When the elevator came the trio stepped on and pushed their respective floors. Aaron was getting off first, but before he did something occurred to Tony.  
   
“How did you know I took the offer?”  
   
Hotch stepped off, then turned to grin at him. “You just told me.”  
   
The sound of Tony’s laughter was still making Aaron smile when he stepped into his office. He was very much looking forward to the following night.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to say that you people are awesome. I am amazed at the reception this story is getting, and I am extremely grateful for it. Y'all are awesomesauce!!
> 
> The Spy House is real. It's just not in the DC area. It's actually in Madison, WI and called the [SafeHouse](http://www.safe-house.com/). Next chapter we move onto finding the first recruit.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed. Thank you for reading and for those who comment!


	6. The First Recruit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony travels to Montana to secure his first recruit. Along the way new friends are made. A misunderstanding brings up old scars, and more is revealed than any of them expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those that read this on Rough Trade, when I reviewed the story after, I made the decision to change the real people characters and make them into actual characters or Original Characters. So, some names will change, but none of the "faces" have. Because of this, you will see some OoC-ness in some of the characters I have removed from their fandoms, and placed into a new environment. I mostly went OCs, but this chapter does have one of the peeps I changed to one of their characters because it fit in so well.

_Banner by Rivermoon1970_

 

 

 

 **Chapter Six:** _The First Recruit_

 

Tony had never in his life imagined that he would be excited to be in Montana. But, there he was on his way to get into his full sized fully loaded Ford F-150. He decided that if he had to be there then he was gonna go native. He had on his best pair of worn jeans that he’d had since he left Philly. Under his leather jacket was his OSU Football T-Shirt, ‘cause while he may be in Montana he was still gonna represent his Buckeyes. On his feet were his one and only pair of work boots.  
   
They were a pair of Timberlands that he’d had since college. He worked construction one summer and lasted a whole month before he’d switched to a job at a restaurant. The boots, however, had stayed. He was pretty sure that he was supposed to have some kind of hat on his head, but… well damn it it might be vain, but he wasn’t about to mess his hair up. Hopefully, he didn’t lose cool points with his prospective employee.  
   
Throwing his bag into the backseat, Tony climbed up into the truck, and after programming the address for the Double Arrow Ranch into the GPS set off on his adventure. The English lady on the GPS advised him that he would have roughly two hours to reach his destination. Plenty of time to focus his thoughts. Tonight had been planned to be the big date night. However, Trent warned him that he should get to Will’s ranch before the CIA sent him a new assignment. When the BAU got a case he’d decided the universe was giving him a much-needed excuse to delay the social event.  
   
He figured it probably was tacky to be happy about a serial killer. So, he was mentally labeling his current feeling on the subject as relieved instead of happy. He was relieved that he had a few more days before the date. It wasn’t that he wanted to back out because he didn’t. What he did want to do was give himself a few more days between losing his forever with Gibbs to contemplating a forever with Mr. Sexyass in the BAU. He was also very thankful that he didn’t have to explain that to Aaron aka Mr. Sexyass.  
   
As he covered endless miles of gorgeous view, Tony found himself going back over everything that had happened since the assignment for SecNav had ended. He frankly hated Secretary Jarvis for the position that he’d put him in.  
   
He felt that he should have never been put in a spot where he had no backup other than SecNav and Vance. That was the second time that it had happened to him, and it was the second time that it had blown up in his face. In his maybe not so humble opinion, an undercover agent should never EVER be put in that position. On his team, it sure as hell would never happen or he’d make heads roll no matter how much higher on the food chain they were than him.  
   
The undercover operative should ALWAYS be able to know someone was watching his back. Not only should his Team Leader and Unit Chief be up to date on any assignment he or she is given, he should be able to confide in one other person on the team or another agent under the same organizational umbrella with the correct security clearance level if he or she so chooses. He’d felt so strongly about it that he’d demanded that it be put in writing, and signed off by the Director of the FBI himself before Tony had accepted the position.  
   
While Assoc. Director Evans had assured him the FBI did not allow their agents to be sent on missions without the proper backup, Tony had more than happily used both the Rene Benoit and the Simon Cade assignments as examples of why he would need to have proof of that. Fortunately, the Director seemed more than happy to oblige with his request, and the documentation had been faxed over before Tony even left the meeting.  
   
That single act alone made him feel so much better about returning to his former employer. He wondered if he hadn’t maybe made a hasty judgment when he’d left after the FUBAR in Philly, but didn’t waste too much time on that thought. That case was a long time ago, and Tony wasn’t going to beat himself up for a decision he made around 15 years prior. What was done was done.  
   
Gibbs.  
   
The name was caught in Tony’s head and refused to get out. Looking out the front window at the mountains in the distance, he tried to look at his relationship, if you could call it that, with Gibbs objectively. The problem was there was just no way to look at being told that he had to be monogamous, while Gibbs hadn’t had any plans to be himself, and it not be wrong. Add in the fact that he’d done it before, and all you got was a twisted bastard who didn’t care whose heart he broke.  
   
Could he have misinterpreted his own feelings of love, as just being in love with the idea that he was in love with the bastard? Jesus, the question alone made his head hurt. After a few moments trying to work through it, he wondered if it mattered. Whether it had been genuine love, or the idea of love his heart had been broken, and Gibbs has been a sleazy bastard. Whichever it was, Tony recognized that there was no point in waiting around or pining for the prick. He needed to let go of the notion, and let himself move on. Even if it seemed horribly soon. There was no sense in holding onto the pain of something that obviously had never been meant to be. Leroy Jethro Gibbs just wasn’t worth the hurt.  
   
Pushing the button on his Bluetooth headset connected to his phone, Tony decided to let Hotch know he was all in. ‘Send Message to Aaron Hotchner. I’m sorry we had to reschedule. I am looking forward to dinner whenever we get to it. Good luck on your case. If you need to bounce ideas off someone, I am available. End Message.’  
   
He was about a half an hour later he got a response. ‘Message from Aaron Hotchner. I am looking forward to dinner, too. Thank you for understanding. I may take you up on the advice. Good luck with your first recruit! He’d be a fool to turn you down. Call Garcia at (555) 224-9975 if you need any background information on him. End of Message.’  
   
Grinning, Tony relaxed into the seat, turned on the radio, and tried to sing along to country songs he didn’t know. Just maybe this time he was on the right track.  
   
When he reached the ranch farm house, Tony turned off the truck and looked around at the property. It was in Tony’s opinion massive. He wasn’t sure if it was by Montana standards, but for someone who’d spent his whole life in the city, this was huge. Getting out, he locked the truck out of habit, making a dog somewhere bark in protest.  
   
“No need for that here. Agent in Charge DiNozzo, I assume?”  
   
Tony looked up toward the house to see a man standing on the porch. He appeared to be a couple inches shorter than Tony was himself, and had light brown hair with blue eyes. From the picture Trent had included in the flash drive he gave him, Tony knew this was CIA Agent William Brandt aka Will. “I am, and you are Agent Brandt. My cousin Trent speaks highly of you.”  
   
The other man smiled and motioned Tony to come up onto the porch. “Please, it’s Will. Any family of Kort’s deserves the first name treatment. He’s saved my bacon a number of times.”  
   
Tony flashed one of his genuine smiles that could light up whole buildings if only it could be harnessed for energy. “Then it’s Tony, please. It’s nice to meet someone he actually likes. He may be my favorite cousin, but he’s a grouchy bastard.”  
   
When Tony reached the top of the steps to shake Will’s hand, the CIA operative was still laughing. “A pleasant disposition he certainly does not have. I hope he told you to bring your stuff to spend the night. We’re pretty much in the middle of nowhere. So, there are no hotels nearby.”  
   
“He did,” Tony confirmed. “I have a bag in the backseat of the cab. I have to say, I am about as much of a city boy as it gets, but this is a beautiful place you have here.”  
   
“Thank you,” Will offered, giving a genuine smile of his own.  
   
“It’s the place that I go when I need to remember who I am. Don’t get me wrong, though, I don’t mind the city either. Especially if I can get up high to look out over things, and see all the lights and buildings. There is beauty in almost any environment. It’s just a matter of being willing to see it.” Will turned and led Tony toward a pair of wooden rockers, and settled in one waving his hand to the other.  
   
Pouring tea into the two glasses already filled with ice Will set his chair rocking. “Trent says you need an undercover agent?”  
   
Tony nodded taking a long drink of his tea. “I do. Actually, I need more than one, but I’d like one with some well-rounded undercover experience, including deep/long term undercover. I also need someone who understands rules. I don’t mind bending them if needed, but I am highly opposed to breaking them. My boss at my last job seemed to forget that rules are necessary, and broke them at his own whim. Including his own personal rules that he made others follow without exception.  
   
“I need someone that I can depend on. I need someone who is willing to take a younger or less experienced agent under their wing and show them the ropes. Trent didn’t go into deep detail about your current situation, but he seemed to indicate that he was worried about you.”  
   
Tony took another drink of his tea as he studied the land around them. “Trent is really the only family I have. My father is a conman who should probably be in jail. I spent ten years at NCIS, only to be betrayed by co-workers. I was used by the Director and SecNav for operations where I wasn’t allowed backup. In the end, I was betrayed by the one man I thought I could trust beyond all others. My trust tree is down to two well-worn and scared roots. If Trent trusts you, then I trust you.  
   
“I believe in the justice system. Is it flawed? Yes, but I still believe in it. I don’t blatantly break the law. I don’t condone people running around willy-nilly doing whatever the hell they want.  
   
“I have strong feelings about my operatives having the correct amount of backup. Before I even took this job, I made sure that certain things could never happen. Such as, someone under me will never be used for an assignment by anyone in this organization without the appropriate backup. We are not black ops. This is not an environment  
   
“You would be my first official hire. I don’t even have a second in command yet. I’d need you to live in the DC/Alexandria/Quantico area, but I can tell you that anytime you come off of an undercover gig of 2 weeks or more, you will be given mandatory downtime of three days in office only. A month or more starts at one week mandatory no office work. You’d be able to come back here and do your thing. My main concern, Will, is that you’re happy and both physically and mentally healthy. I want this team to be like a family. Maybe that’s unrealistic, but it’s what I am hoping for.”  
   
When Tony was done with his sales pitch, because honestly, he knew that’s what this was, he sat quietly and looked out at the scenery in the distance letting Will do his thing. Finally, after about 20 minutes, Will nodded and stood. “Come inside. You should meet my husband Robert. You will be his favorite person in the world since you’re the one getting him back to civilization.”  
   
A few hours later, Tony leaned back in his chair and rubbed his stomach groaning softly. “That was seriously awesome. I don’t get bbq chicken much.”  
   
Robert smiled proudly. “Will is an excellent cook. I, on the other hand, am helpless in the kitchen.”  
   
Will grinned. “I wouldn’t say that. You wash a mean potato, and you do amazing things on the island.”  
   
Robert blushed slightly, and Tony grinned knowing it wasn’t meal preparation they were talking about. “Tony doesn’t need to hear about our extra-curricular affairs. Future Maybe Will’s Boss, I have a question about this new job.”  
   
Robert waited for Tony to nod before continuing. “Will he be forced to sleep with someone in this position? Other than me that is?”  
   
Quickly, Tony shook his head and gave a snort of amusement at the disclaimer. “Look, I realize that the CIA does things differently, and I won’t say that someone in a position of power at the FBI has never made the same request of an operative. I can tell you I very strongly do not believe in that. I won’t lie and tell you that I haven’t done it myself because I have.”  
   
Tony frowned and began shredding his napkin on his plate as he spoke. “I will tell you that a former superior… we’ll say strongly encouraged it. I was resistant, but I let my guard down, lost my headspace.”  
   
“You fell for your mark?” Will guessed sighing, and Tony nodded.  
   
“Yes, she was an innocent woman who had no idea what kind of a scumbag that her father was. I’m not proud of it. In my defense, it was a pretty bleak point in my life, but that isn’t an excuse. I hurt a woman who had done nothing wrong. So, do I expect you to do it? Hell fucking no. If you were the kind of man who would or could do something like that with no remorse we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Again, this isn’t black ops where rules are different. Trent knows how I feel about it. He is… very aware of my… slip.”  
   
Will’s eyes get big for a moment. “La Grenouille? Jeanne Benoit?”  
   
Tony hesitated before nodding. “How…”  
   
Will sighed. “I was Trent’s partner on that job. You and I never met, but… I was involved. I did all of the analysis work for him. I never knew who the other agent was, but… I know Trent wanted to skewer your Director for what she did.”  
   
Robert nodded and stood. “It’s time to move this to another room. Come, DiNozzo, follow me. Will grab some beers, please?”  
   
Tony lifted an eyebrow and stood picking up his dishes. Will just waved a hand. “We’ll clean up later. Trust me, we don’t want to make His Highness wait.”  
   
Robert lifted a middle finger in the air as he left the room, and Tony followed laughing. If he hadn’t already liked the guy, what he found in the next room would have done it.  
   
“Oh, she’s beautiful.” Tony gushed heading straight for the baby grand placed in the middle of the library. He paused just before touching it.  
   
“May I?”  
   
Robert shrugged and pointed to Will. “It’s’ his. I am an artist, not a pianist.”  
   
Tony’s eyes lit up as he looked to his new employee, and Will waved his hand at the instrument. “Trent advised I would be a ‘bloody fucking wanker’ if I didn’t make you play. So, please, sit, and show me what you can do. She’s made to be loved, after all.”  
   
Nodding, Tony sat and ran a few scales to warm up, before letting himself move into some actual music. He hadn’t been able to play recently. Tobias didn’t have a piano. He’d been swamped in the days before he quit NCIS, and not just with the Cade assignment. He didn’t know how long he played. As always, at some point, he lost himself in the music. He did know that by the time he got done, his shoulders were looser, and his chest didn’t feel as tight.  
   
When he realized that the room behind him was quiet, he turned to see Robert and Will curled up together on what his mother would call the love sofa. “That was amazing.” Robert offered softly, and Will smiled.  
   
“I didn’t recognize those last few.”  
   
Tony had to think back to what he’d played, and then blushed when he remembered. “Those were DiNozzo originals.”  
   
Will smiled, and then nodded at that. “Something else we have in common then.” Lifting his bottle of beer he held it up and out.  
   
“To new friends, and new opportunities.”  
   
Grinning big, Tony returned the salute. “To finding the place where we both belong.”  
   
Robert nodded and lifted his own bottle. “To us.”  
   
   
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
   
   
Will watched as Tony headed off to bed, and decided to track down his missing lover. He’d hung in with the two men until the work talk came back, and then like always he took off, presumably to hide in his studio. Work talk didn’t happen around the farmhouse much. Usually though when it did, it was because Trent was there, and they were trying to unravel a mission. In those instances, the detail was hitting too close to home, and Robert left before he got triggered. Tonight though they’d been discussing team needs and other things that were Robert’s specialty. The man’s eye for detail was amazing.  
   
Walking into the studio, Will moved to the couch in what was labeled as the safe zone for him inside of his husband’s space. It was outside of the splatter zone, as sometimes Robert’s work got messy. It was also out of most lines of sight for his work area. That way he didn’t get distracted when Will came to watch him work.  
   
Today, he noted that Robert had pulled out a fresh canvas, and was using bright, rich colors that he was painting in a careful, yet most likely abstract manner. It wasn’t what he’d expected, and it was a sign that the man certainly wasn’t fighting off an attack. When that happened only dark, angry colors were used, and paint was thrown at the canvas as if the cloth itself had been the one to offend him, and he was killing it with the paint.  
   
Pulling out his phone, Will made sure that it was still on mute from when he was watching earlier in the day, and began playing Tetris. Every so often he’d pause the game, and look up to watch is lover work. It never failed to amaze him how something so beautiful could come from such a plain white canvas. Tonight when Robert stopped making long strokes on the canvas, Will was watching. He’d seen this enough to know that whatever burst of inspiration he’d been under had run its course, and he was done for the evening.  
   
The painting layers came off and set in a pile on the floor, as a shirtless Robert turned, and made his way over. “No mess tonight. Does that mean I get a kiss?” The cheeky man asked, and Will smiled unable to resist the happiness.  
   
“Of course it does. It is in the rules after all.”  
   
“You and your damned rules.” Robert sighed but kneeled on the couch, and kissed his husband thoroughly before moving to sit next to him. “I can’t believe that your boss has a set of 25 of the damned things. It’s like a match made in heaven. Should I be jealous?”  
   
Will grinned. “Do you really think that he could handle me?”  
   
Robert snorted and rolled his head from side to side on the couch back. “No, my dear, I do not. You are quite high maintenance.”  
   
“I am high maintenance? You are the biggest man diva that’s ever man diva’d.” Will retorted, and Robert shrugged.  
   
“Go big or go home, baby.”  
   
Will grins and asks, “Surfing and skateboarding, or Harleys tonight?”  
   
Scowling Robert flipped his lover off and stood to go find his shirt. “Always Harleys, Fuckhead. Always Harleys.”  
   
Will nodded then turned his attention to the painting. “So, you really like him, huh?”  
   
Robert sighed and ran a hand over his face. “My first impression of your hopefully new boss is that he’s everything I wanted when I was doing ops in the Marines. As he said, black ops are different, but even then I can’t help but feel that had he been my boss things would have come out much differently.”  
   
“Makes you miss it huh?” Will guessed and the second sigh he got was the only answer he needed.  
   
“Come along Mr. Brandt. I put the guest on the other end of the hallway. So, why don’t we retire to the bedchamber for some adult activities.”  
   
Standing he pulled a very willing Robert out of the room with the intent to make him forget all the what could have beens.  
   
In the morning, when Will walked into the kitchen, Robert was sitting at the table chatting with Tony who was doing things on the stove. Will was pretty good with meat and potatoes, but this looked much more complicated than that. Deciding that he wasn’t awake enough to ask, he wandered over to the coffee machine and listened to the conversation going on behind him.  
   
“So, now that Will is awake, I am going to make an observation. Feel free to tell me to go fuck myself if it’s personal, and you don’t want to talk about it. You, Robert, are not just an artist. Or maybe more accurately I should say you haven’t always been just an artist.”  
   
Will blinked and turned slowly at the statement to look at his husband. He knew there was no way that Trent revealed that to anyone, and relayed the thought to Robert with a quick shake of his head. He also doubted that Tony had found his files, they were buried so deep they might as well not exist, and he knew for a fact that they weren’t in digital format. Tony continued on seemingly unaware of the interaction behind him. Will wondered if that was really the case, though.  
   
“I would say you were an operative of some sort, most likely military, and my first thought would be a marine, but you could have been a SEAL. That doesn’t really fit as well, though. I would say that, and I am trying to be delicate here so as not to… cause anything, things didn’t go well at some point.  
   
“My guess is The Company boy here was involved in…. your current freedom. Your last name is not Holmes. I have no idea what it really is and don’t plan to look. Will you be safe if the two of you move into the DC area? I don’t want to put you in unnecessary danger, and I don’t want you two to be separated if you have to stay here. I would rather not have Will, and find another place for him if that’s the case.”  
   
Will wasn’t aware that he had even moved. Nor was he aware that he’d picked up the chef’s knife off the counter on his way across the room until he heard Robert’s soft voice in his ear.  
   
“Babe, no killing the guests in the kitchen. That’s what you have this huge ranch for, remember?”  
   
Will blinked, but didn’t turn his gaze away from the man pretending to want to hire him. There was no way now that it was the truth. He was more than a little pissed about that. He’d really wanted that job.  
   
“Babe, come on, please put the knife down. Death before breakfast makes me grumpy.”  
   
“Can someone hand me the plate? I need to dish up Robert’s omelet.” Tony nonchalantly asked.  
   
“I’d get it myself, but there is a chef’s knife in the way. I already have one scar there. I don’t need another.”  
   
Two heads turned to look at him in disbelief, neither noticing the slight tremble in Tony’s hands. “Incidentally, unless you want to cause one of those things I was delicately trying to avoid from happening to Robert from happening in your kitchen to me, you may want to move the knife.”  
   
Horrified, and more than a little off balance, Will removed the knife and tossed it somewhere behind him. Later he would find it stuck on the wall beside a cabinet. When Robert pulled him away, Will went easily.  
   
“Can one of you go up and get my phone, and then dial TK. I need to talk to him, but I really would like to finish breakfast.”  
   
It was then that Will noticed the subtle signs of an impending panic attack. He opened his mouth to speak, but Robert was already out of the room like a shot. The CIA operative was left to watch his now former future boss, and wonder what the fuck he’d done.  
   
When Robert came back in the room, he was already talking on the phone. Will assumed to Trent, and his stomach dropped wondering how his friend would ever be able to speak to him again. Robert pulled a chair over to the stove, then put the phone in Tony’s hand, helping him sit. Will watched as he turned the oven on warm, put the omelet inside to keep it hot, and then turn off all the burners. His lover then came over to him and pulled him out the kitchen door to sit on the swing. Will, again, assumed to give Trent time to calm Tony down.  
   
When Will felt the sting of a slap on the back of his head. “Trent asked me to give that to you. He advised that the next time he will do worse than hitting you on the back of the head. He also reminds you that shit like that is why the two of you decided that you needed to move on from the CIA, remember?”  
   
“Did he say…?” Will swallowed, guilt making him unable to go on, but fortunately his husband understood.  
   
“Tony did an undercover assignment quite a few years ago. They thought the guy was a harmless antiquities smuggler, but it turns out that he was a murderer. They didn’t know it until Tony was already undercover and unreachable.  
   
“He and the man Jeffrey White went missing for several days. It turns out that this Jeffrey killed someone while he and Tony were together. They ended up in a car with Tony trying to talk this Jeffrey into turning himself in. The man held a knife to Tony’s throat from the seat behind him. Will, he was going to kill him.”  
   
He heard his partner stop speaking, and turning his head saw him running a hand over his face. He wondered if Robert felt as bad as Will did.  
   
“Fortunately, Tony killed Jeffrey first shooting through the front seat, but the incident caused some trauma. Trent thinks the knife reminded him of that because apparently, Tony liked the guy up until that point. He wasn’t aware of the murder part of the equation until afterward.”  
   
When Will just hung his head, Robert looked out over the ranch. “You couldn’t have known. You reacted out of instinct when you felt I was being threatened. Trent says that Tony will forgive you, but we’ll probably have a house guest for another night. He recommended that you let Tony use your piano after we eat. Apparently cooking and playing his piano are his coping mechanisms. He also recommended expensive shoes. Several pairs of expensive shoes.”  
   
Will snorted, and let out a chuckle that wasn’t quite humorous. “For Tony or himself?”  
   
Robert pretended to think about it before shrugging. “My guess is both of them.”  
   
Eventually, Tony poked his head out the kitchen door, a blush firmly in place on his face. “Umm, breakfast is ready if you guys are ready to eat.”  
   
Quickly, they got up and followed the other man inside finding the table set with a full breakfast of omelets, bacon, hash browns, and biscuits. As they were eating, Tony began speaking hesitantly.  
   
“My old boss is a marine sniper. I worked at NCIS. I know SEALs and Marines. Robert isn’t your typical military guy, but as my boss says ‘once a Marine, always a Marine’. He’s got a few little… ticks that indicate Marine.  
   
“I’ve been undercover on and off since I got out of the Police Academy. I had a gig in Philadelphia that ended… badly. I had trouble sleeping last night and went to the library to see if I could find a book to read. I noticed multiple copies of Sherlock Holmes books. Some quite a bit old, and quite a few with bookplates that said they were owned by Robert.  
   
“I spent most of my time at NCIS basically playing someone who was close to myself, but not quite. Robert’s good, but when you’ve been there…”  
   
Tony sighed and tore at his omelet, not really eating it before speaking again. “I am sorry; I wasn’t trying to be threatening. I just… I like figuring out puzzles. I can’t help it. My brain is always working multiple things at once and making intuitive leaps. Trent is always telling me that someday my curiosity will get me killed. I would understand if you don’t want to work for me anymore.”  
   
Will felt gutted. He’d attacked his new boss, nearly caused a panic attack by reminding of one of the worst moments of his life, and now the man was apologizing to him. When he heard Robert’s voice, Will’s head rose quickly surprised. Not necessarily at the sound, but at the words, he was speaking. This was his story and sort of their story. No one got to hear this. No one except apparently one Tony DiNozzo, Jr.  
   
“I am a Junior like you, and my first name is Robert. My last name though as you guessed is not Holmes. It’s Morgan. You may recognize the name Robert Morgan because my father owns one of the largest and most successful engineering companies in the nation.  
   
“I was supposed to take over the company for him. Go to college, start off at some smaller firm to gain some experience, and earn my way before eventually taking over for the old man. I didn’t… I didn’t want that, though. My father was disappointed, but said that he was proud that I was insistent on doing my own thing.”  
   
Robert took a sip of his coffee before continuing. “I ignored all of the colleges that wanted me so badly for my huge brain and my father’s money. Instead, I enrolled in the marines where I would be just one among many. It didn’t take long before my brain attracted attention, though, and eventually, I ended up doing special operations for the Marines, and eventually the DOJ.  
   
“Eventually, I was assigned a mission where we were trying to uncover how confidential information was getting to enemy forces. Toward the end of it, it became obvious that someone in my direct command structure with the Marines was not working for the correct side. My bosses at the DOJ set up a complicated operation to find out not only if it was true, but which person it was and who he was working for.  
   
“Because we knew there were extra risks in this, we set up some contingency plans for more scenarios than normal. One of them was that if I was captured there would be a well… a fake court martial setup. The premise would be that I went rogue, killed someone that I shouldn’t have, and was being detained down at Gitmo, which was why my family couldn’t reach me.”  
   
Robert stopped again, and ate some bacon, as Tony watched concerned. Will wanted to reach out and touch his lover’s hand, hold it, tell him that he didn’t have to do this. He knew though that it wouldn’t be welcomed, or a smart move at that moment. Because of that, he sat silent and motionless.  
   
“Things… didn’t go as we had hoped. I lost contact with my backup, and I was then captured. This started the court martial plan, but that didn’t go right either. My family was to be told, well not the truth, something close to the truth though so that they knew I wasn’t guilty of anything. Unfortunately, the wrong papers got to the wrong desk thanks to the bad guys and my crooked handler who turned out to be the mole.  
   
“My family was informed of the cover story. They were also shown made up ‘evidence’ of my wrong doing. My father immediately disowned me and basically blacklisted my name with the rest of the family. My brother also believed the story, and refused to speak with me, even when I tried to explain after I got home.”  
   
Will watched Robert shove a biscuit into his mouth, bite off a piece, and chew violently. Most likely he was running memories through his head. He knew later those dark angry paints would be put to use.  
   
“I met Will when he infiltrated the pricks holding me, and rescued me. I got… attached. After we got back stateside, I used what little resources I had left to stalk and woo him. Eventually, he gave in and succumbed to my advances. The bad guys got away, last I heard they were still evading capture somewhere. That led to the name change and the new identity.  
   
“I obviously can’t work out in the open, but on occasion, I have been known to… consult with Trent and Will and offer advice. I would be more than happy to have the same arrangement with you if you are interested.”  
   
When Tony nodded enthusiastically, Will smiled and winked at Robert. His husband seemed to be perking up at the thought that maybe he’d get to work with the man after all. He made a mental note to find out if it was possible to fully read in his new boss on Robert’s case. It wouldn’t hurt to have another set of eyes looking for the bad guys, and if Tony was coming from NCIS he would certainly have the experience needed to understand all of the dynamics. When Robert started talking again he just filed that away to discuss with his mate later.  
   
“I haven’t checked on my family since they threw me out. As far as I am concerned, they are as dead to me as they made me feel when they turned their backs on me. If you get me back to the city, I will get down on my knees and bathe your feet with my happy tears before making love to them. I don’t particularly like feet, so this is truly a sacrifice for me.”  
   
Tony nodded as he giggled somewhat like a teenage girl, and then lifted his glass of orange juice. “To being completely fucked up in the head.”  
   
Robert snorted, and clinked glasses with him. Will shook his head, and tried to let go of the guilt lying deep in his mind.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because William started out as Jeremy and Robert started out as RDJ, they are a conglomerate of various characters and people. William is a little William, part Clint, a bit of what I know of Jeremy from social media, and some made up bits on my part. Robert is part Tony Stark and part RDJ I have seen from Social Media, but a lot is made up and was originally. Jeremy made sense to be Will because his current position is bascially the same realm. RDJ made more sense as an OC. 
> 
> I didn't want to use Tony and Clint because I didn't think it would fit as well. Also, there are a few Avenger nods sprinkled in through out the story that I like and don't want to remove, but would have to if they were Tony and Clint.
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read. It's much appreciated. The NCIS portion of the story will be rounded up with chapters Seven and Eight. So, that begins next week. I know there are several wishes for how this will go for certain people, but sometimes the best punishment is to just move on and put negative people behind you. For the most part that is what Tony is doing. Hopefully everyone enjoys how it turned out.


	7. Groveling McGeeks & Closing Chapters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> McGee finally tracks down Tony at the last place he expected him at, and ends up finding himself a new home. Then, Tony has one final meeting with Director Vance. The director finds a much more honest DiNozzo than he's used to, and Tony finds respect in a place he hadn't expected it. Even if it's given somewhat grudgingly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first of two chapters that wraps up things with NCIS that I felt needed addressed. Hope you enjoy!

Banner by Rivermoon1970

 

 

##  **Chapter Seven:** _Groveling McGeeks & Closing Chapters_

 

When Tony got back from Montana, he was much more relaxed than when he’d left. He was excited to get the rest of his team built. He was happy to have new friendships starting to build, and hoped this time when the trust tree grew it would resemble a redwood. His plan was to go to Toby’s house and start going through files for prospective agents to plunder. So, the last thing he expected when he walked in was to see Tim sitting on the couch.

When he glared at Tobias, the older man just held up his hands. “He just showed up, Tony, but I’ve heard what he has to say. I think you should listen to him.”

Sighing, Tony took off his jacket, and after hanging it on the back of one of the chairs, he settled in to hear what Tim had to say. As he spoke and explained how he hadn’t felt right about the story Gibbs gave Friday, Abby’s bullshit excuse Monday, and quitting NCIS later that same day, it became more and more apparent to Tony that something had changed with his Probie. When the younger man grew silent, Tony studied him for several moments before speaking.

“What changed, McGee? Because to be honest, I wasn’t sure you even liked me.” Tony admitted and watched Tim blush.

“I’m sorry about that. After Gibbs gave that stupid excuse Friday, I had all weekend to think about things. I realized that I’ve been a jerk, and I wasn’t happy about it. Then after I talked to Sciuto well… I got pissed. I mean, you don’t open yourself like that often, and for her to just… basically, laugh in your face and call bullshit…”

Tim scowled, and Tony watched him shake his head. “That’s not someone I wanna work with. I owe you a lot, Tony. I know that. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. Hell, I wouldn’t have lasted on Gibbs’ team without you. I am honored to be your probie, and I want to show you that I have your six. No matter how directly or indirectly that is. I’m not willing to work for an agency that has people like that.”

“I don’t know what to say, McGee. I didn’t expect it from you, to be honest, but… it means a lot to me. I wish I had a spot for you on my team but…”

Tim shook his head fast. “I totally understand. At first, I was hoping you would, but then Tobias was telling me how you need experienced undercover people. That’s not me.”

Tobias cleared his throat drawing their attention. “Actually I have a thought. I had a talk with one of the guys on my team today. His name is Chin Ho Kelly. He is a hell of a tech guy but has done undercover work. He started out at Honolulu PD, but they had a dumbass attack and fired him for suspected theft of monetary evidence. Which I might add, they had no evidence he did it, and I couldn’t find anything to indicate he did it. I think he would be perfect for your team. I say you take Chin, and I hire McGee for my team. That way when Gibbs has his hissy fit he’ll be mad at me and not you…. Hopefully.”

Tim and Tony looked at each other and then snorted. “Good luck with that.”

Tony shrugged and leaned back in his chair yawning. “I’m game if you don’t mind McGee. I may still want to use his mad skills every now and then if you don’t mind Tobs. Hey! That will mean I now have TWO people for my team!”

Tim smiled big. “That’s awesome, Tony!”

Tobias nodded. “Good job, DiNozzo. I suggest you decide on your SIC next. Word must have gotten out that Elijah Mundo was on the short list because Section Chief Avery Ryan is looking for you. She’s his current boss.”

Tony sighed and shook his head. “Not today. Today, I sleep. Tomorrow I pillage and plunder the FBI’s finest.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Tony parked his car in Director Vance’s driveway and turned off the ignition. He wasn’t sure about this meeting. He didn’t quite understand what he was doing there, or why Vance requested it. He’d only come because Tobs had told him it couldn’t hurt. “Never burn a bridge if it isn’t necessary, kid.”

So, here he was at his former director’s home. Getting ready to play nice to a man he knew he didn’t respect and wasn’t sure if he even liked.

Walking up the walkway he considered all the possible outcomes one more time. Once he’d reached the house he rang the doorbell. When Jared answered the door excitedly spewing a series of basketball questions, Tony just smiled and answered them all. Vance may be a dick, but he had good kids. Tony had spent some time with Jared after his mom died, mostly playing ball at the Y.

As he followed Jared into his father’s study, Tony was explaining why even if you could shoot like Stephen Curry, you still had to be good at defense, too. When he was done, he saw the indulgent and somewhat surprised look on Vance's face. Did he think Tony would tell the kid to fuck off? Seriously, what the hell was he doing here?

Finally, Leon sent his son away, and Tony selected a seat away from the desk. He was goddamned if he was gonna give the man a position of power when he didn’t even have to be there. He heard Leon snort, but he got up and came around the desk to sit in the chair opposite Tony’s.

“When I took over for Director Sheppard, Tom Morrow called me within 24 hours to wish me congratulations. Once he was done with that he told me to make sure my agents knew I was not their friend, but not to be an asshole for no reason. The second thing he told me to do was to pull your real file, including the material that was sealed. Unfortunately, I didn’t do either, until recently.”

Vance sighed and rubbed a hand over the top of his head. “Bottom line, DiNozzo, is that I fucked up. I didn’t follow the advice of a predecessor because I thought I knew better. I was an arrogant jackass, and now two of my best two agents are gone. For what it’s worth, I think you’ll do a great job at the FBI, and I will be happy to work with you in the future.”

When the director stopped talking, Tony sat watching him, waiting for more to come out of his mouth. When nothing was else was said, he was a little confused.

“Umm, to be honest, sir, I don’t know what to say. I’m not trying to be rude, but we could have had this conversation over the phone. You aren’t my favorite person, but as someone who will be in a higher up position within the FBI, I’m not willing to tell you to fuck off. To be honest, I’m pretty over all of it. I have a dream job with an agency I am pretty sure that I should never have left. I don’t want to fight with you sir, but I don’t want to have a love fest.”

Tony shrugged and stared across the room a moment before continuing. “If you can keep Gibbs, Ziva, and Abby the hell away from me I will consider us even. I’m just… I’m done, sir.” Vance nods and leaning forward in his own chair holds a hand out to Tony. “It wasn’t always a pleasure to work with you, DiNozzo, but it was always interesting. NCIS will not be the same without you.”

Tony couldn’t help the smirk that crossed his lips, and he nodded. “It’s not always been a pleasure on my side either, sir, but I appreciate everything NCIS has done for me, and I look forward to assisting any part of NCIS that doesn’t involve Gibbs, Abby, or Ziva. Hell, I think OSP and my team would be natural counterparts.”

“I agree. Good luck, DiNozzo. Know that NCIS is proud to say you were ours first.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it!
> 
> Next week we have Gibbs' day of reckoning, and then Ducky meets up with the new work in progress Tony.


	8. Someone’s Not Afraid of the Big Bad Gibbs & Fences Not So Mended

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gibbs has a meeting with Vance that does not stick to the norm. Things are changin' at NCIS, and Gibbs may find himself on the wrong side of the Director's ire. Then, Tony finally touches base with Ducky. Things start off well, but when a moment from the past comes up, how does the elderly ME react?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am warning for OOC Gibbs, because I want to make it clear that I realize this is not the Gibbs of norm. I have deliberately twisted certain parts of his personality to make them worse than normal. Mostly because I found it am interesting "what if".

##  ****

 

##  **Chapter Eight:** _Someone’s Not Afraid of the Big Bad Gibbs & Fences Not So Mended_

 

 

Gibbs grunted unhappily as he walked past Cynthia without stopping, and entered Vance’s office. He didn’t know what this meeting was about, but he had better things to do. Hopefully the dumbass would have some kind of explanation on why he sent McGee to wherever he ran off to without consulting him first. Gibbs couldn’t undo all of DiNozzo’s meddling if the kid wasn’t in the office.  
  
“What do you want, Vance?” Gibbs asked surprised to see Vance sitting at the table with some files in front of him.  
  
“Sit, Special Agent Gibbs,” Vance ordered, and Gibbs glared, but obeyed.  
  
“Some things have been brought to my attention. You and I are therefore going to have what my Grandmother would have called ‘A Comin’ to Jesus’ meeting. I am going to talk. You are going to keep your mouth shut. You’ve done enough damage, and frankly, I am currently of the opinion that it wouldn’t be as much of a hardship as I believed to just fire your ass.”  
  
When Gibbs started to speak, Vance glared and cut him off. “I wasn’t kidding Gibbs. Open your mouth before I give you permission, and I will advise SecNav that you and I couldn’t reach an understanding. While he would be most displeased, he’s already given me the authorization to do what needs to be done. Of course, he doesn’t really have much choice. DiNozzo, it seems, has friends in high places.”  
  
Gibbs gritted his teeth but kept his mouth shut. If DiNozzo had run his mouth, the little bastard wouldn’t be safe anywhere. He was more than willing to get out his sniper rifle and put it to good use.  
  
“It has come to my attention that there was a relationship going on between you and Former Special Agent DiNozzo that violates NCIS fraternization policies. Not only that, but I was advised that it was less of a romantic relationship, and more of some twisted power play on your part.”  
  
Gibbs clenched his fists and glared angrily at the Director, but the man seemed to be unphased. “Now, before you form some bullshit denial, you should know that I have confirmation from reliable sources that you often play these games with unsuspecting and vulnerable younger men who you believe you can manipulate and string along.  
  
“Unfortunately, no one can confirm that you’ve played them with NCIS employees before. If they could, then you would be out on your ass automatically. You’re a dinosaur Gibbs. You refuse to keep up with technology, or even join this decade. You do more bellowing at your direct agents than you do leading, and you cause more headaches with other agencies than I like having to deal with. Now I find out that you’ve been playing sexual power/mind games with other men, and one of them was your former SFA? What the hell were you thinking, Gibbs? No, don’t answer that. Frankly, I don’t give a fuck!”  
  
“I have already discussed this with SecNav. The only thing keeping you employed, and not sent out to pasture, is because Morrow and SecDef want you on this damned fiasco that’s developing with the Cade assignment fallout. They both question if SecNav is wrapped up in something that’s not quite on the up and up. Even if it’s unknowingly. So, you are being moved to a two person team. It will be you and Liaison David only.  
  
“Special Agent McGee has quit in protest over the bullshit you pulled on Tony. Thanks to you, this agency has lost two huge parts of its future. Liaison David’s application for agent status is being denied. Eli has agreed to let her continue as a liaison on Mossad’s behalf for the moment. It seems that he is concerned that something big is brewing, also. Her access to NCIS information though is being reduced to only what is needed for this assignment. After this is over, NCIS will be done with her. Go on and release your bullshit before your head explodes all over my office.”  
  
“What the fuck do you mean McGee quit! That wasn’t the agreement I made with DiNozzo! I don’t know how you can believe whatever bullshit lies he’s made up, Leon, but I am not gonna just sit by and let him ruin my team! I won’t allow you to move me into some bullshit pat on the head position. MCRT is mine, and I will be damned if I am letting you take it away from me!” Gibbs snarled pounding on the table.  
  
Director Vance quietly lifted an eyebrow, then got up and opened his office door. “In case you forgot how leaving works, Gibbs, you just have to walk through here.”  
  
As the man walked back to the table, Gibbs gladly got up to leave sure that the man had seen to reason. However, before he could pass Cynthia’s desk Vance called out, “Cynthia, please file Special Agent Gibbs’ termination papers, please.”  
  
Unable to believe what he was hearing, Gibbs turned and started bellowing before he even got in the office. Vance just held up a hand to shut him up. “I think you are under some misconceptions here, Special Agent Gibbs. So, let me remind you of your place.  
  
“You are not SecNav. You aren’t the Director or even an Assistant Director. You frankly aren’t all that important other than being the most tenured Agent in Charge in this office. You don’t make decisions for NCIS. You don’t have support in this building, or frankly outside of it. Those people I talked about who backed up the DiNozzo story… Tom Morrow, Tobias Fornell, and Dr. Donald Mallard.” Vance leaned back, and grabbing a bottle of water he’d set on the table earlier took a drink before continuing.  
  
“You have no allies other than a Mossad liaison who is on the outs with her own agency, and a lab tech who acts like a 3-year-old playing Halloween year around. You are all expendable. Hell if you did quit, we might be able to get DiNozzo and McGee back. So, please Gibbs, leave. Stomp out like a child.”  
  
Aggravated, Gibbs drained the paper cup of coffee that was almost permanently attached to his hand. He would have gotten up and thrown it away, but he was becoming unsure as to his ability to get his way in this situation. DiNozzo was not going to live long enough to gloat over his victory if he had any say in the matter. When Vance continued, he just glowered at the irritating man.  
  
“If you stay, though, you are playing by my rules. The first of which will be a two-week suspension for your actions, whether I can prove them or not. I am making it a condition of your continued employment. Frankly, you just pissed me off enough that I don’t care anymore. Second, you will be required to pass a psychological screening before you can continue. You will be going directly to your evaluation once we are done with this meeting. That goes for David and Sciuto, also. Their escorts removed them from the building to take them there the second our meeting began. Your doctor will not be Dr. Mallard, and it will not be your little girlfriend Rachel Cranston. Morrow has already loaned me some people from Homeland who specialize in breaking terrorists. Your bullshit will be a walk in the park.”  
  
Gibbs’ hands clenched into fists. The little bastard ran his mouth about Rachel and sealed his own doom. He was going to make the fucker’s head explode like a watermelon at a Gallagher show.  
  
“Further, you will have ZERO contact with either Agent in Charge, soon to be Unit Chief, Anthony DiNozzo Junior, or Technical Analyst Timothy McGee both of the FBI and currently assigned to Unit Chief Tobias Fornell. There has been some question about your actions following this meeting, and if former SFA DiNozzo and Agent McGee will be in danger. So, your movements will be monitored.  
  
You will be fitted with an electronic monitoring device during your evaluation interview. This is also a condition of your further employment. Should you choose to just quit, you will be considered an immediate threat, and SecDef has already received authorization from the AG to consider you a threat to federal agents. I am sure you are aware of the consequences of that.”  
  
Gibbs was seething with rage. The little coward was reasonably afraid he’d get what was coming to him was he? Well, Gibbs was the master at this game. He had all the patience in the world. Eventually, they’d drop their guards, and once they did the little prick would be dead.  
  
“The no going near DiNozzo and McGee and the electronic monitoring restrictions by the way also go for Liaison David and Ms. Sciuto. Both Tony and McGee are about a hair’s breadth away from requesting restraining orders on Ms. Sciuto as it is. If that happens, she will be immediately terminated.  
  
“If any of you so much as THINK about bothering them you will ALL be unemployed. Not just the one who did it, but all three of you. So, get your little brat in line, Gibbs. Shit is gonna change around here, and frankly, I could give two flying fucks if you like it or not. Now, get your ass out of my office. You have 48 minutes to get to your appointment. Here is the address, and room number. They are already expecting you. If they don’t hear from you in that time frame, your termination papers will be automatically filed 49 minutes from now. Keep in mind, I am not Jenny Sheppard. I actually do want you gone.”  
  
Snatching the paper from the arrogant jackass who thought he was the boss, Gibbs stormed out slamming the door behind him. Somehow, some way DiNozzo would end up dead, and it would be at his hand.  
  
“Vengeance is mine.”  
  


  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

  
  
Tony was walking through the market near Ducky’s townhouse trying to decide what to cook the older man for dinner. He’d finally reached out to the elderly ME and asked if he could come over and cook for him so that they could talk. He’d put it off too long already, and even though it had been just under two weeks he missed the man.  
  
Ducky was one of the truly beautiful souls in the often dark and dreary world that he spent so much time chasing criminals in. Tony loved to hear the man’s stories when they weren’t in the middle of a case. Sometimes, he went down for a tale if they were stuck and his own methods for finding inspiration weren’t working.  
  
The Scotsman’s stories were similar to his movie references. If you listened all the way to the end, the solution or at least a thread leading to the solution would often appear. There was a wisdom in the man that came only with age and experience. It was a resource and a personal treasure that Tony didn’t want to lose.  
  
Deciding on a baked eggplant rollatini that he’d been working on perfecting, Tony gathered the ingredients for it, some frozen self-bake French Baguettes, salad ingredients with a fresh Caesar dressing, and for dessert a fresh strawberry Panna Cotta. After gathering up everything that he needed and flirting with the checkout girl as she rang up his groceries, Tony headed to wait for his friend. He still had awhile before their agreed-upon meeting time, but Tony was nervous. He wanted to make sure he was there when Ducky got home.  
  
There was, in his opinion, a valid reason to be worried. Despite the blip when Gibbs had his amnesia, Ducky and his former boss and flame had a long and strong friendship. While Tony felt that the older man liked him well enough, he was under no misconception that their friendship came anywhere close to the one he shared with Gibbs. Then there was, of course, the narcissist comment made only a few years back.  
  
That hurt more than anything Ducky had ever said or done. Even the months when Gibbs had amnesia, and Ducky was too wrapped up in himself to lend aid to a struggling new team leader. Nothing stays quiet forever in the Navy Yard, especially when your lover makes sure that you know.  
  
When Gibbs told him about it, he’d been so shocked that he’d actually pulled the security footage to see if it was the truth. Then, when he heard it with his own two ears, he’d spent all night researching it and trying to hide the hurt.  
  
Eventually, he’d had to take a weekend to go see Brian, one of his frat brothers, who was a highly successful psychologist. It had taken all weekend, but by Sunday his friend convinced him that Ducky was wrong. Along with that he suggested that if the ME truly believed that Tony was a narcissist, then possibly he should not be doing Psychological Forensics.  
  
Brian advised that while three of the 7 most common signs could be interpreted as traits Tony had, the other 4 clearly didn’t apply to him. There were other much more likely explanations for those three traits, such as being the victim of emotional, verbal, and/or physical abuse as a child at the hands of an alcoholic and frequently absent father.  
  
That had been hard to move past, but eventually, he had. If anything, Tony was an expert at accepting people despite the pain they’d caused him. Maybe possibly though he would mention it while they were airing things out. If Ducky truly thought that he had a Narcissistic Personality Disorder, then maybe the friendship should die with the one he’d cast aside with Sciuto. Maybe possibly it was time that he demanded better for himself from the people who wanted a place in his life.  
  
Tony was sitting on the top step of Ducky’s townhouse when the familiar Morgan pulled into its assigned parking spot in front. Leaving the bag of food where it sat, he descended the steps to wait nervously at the bottom. He’d lost Gibbs. He’d lost Sciuto. His friendship with McGee was on shaky grounds. He wasn’t sure that he could lose Ducky and not fall apart, again. Trent was back overseas, and Fornell just didn’t have the same history to make up for another blow to the trust tree.  
  
“Oh my dear boy,” Ducky said the second he was close enough to be heard. Trying not to hope after only four words, Tony shoved his hands into his pockets. For once, he left the mask in its box, and let the ME see his hurt and nerves. This new world he was in deserved a more open Tony. If people couldn’t accept the fact that he had a right to his feelings, then they didn’t deserve a branch on the new trust tree.  
  
“I am not sure that I have the words to express how deeply I regret not seeing what was happening to you, Anthony.”  
  
“You believe me then?” Tony asked hesitantly needing to hear the actual words before he would consider that it was alright to hope.  
  
“I do,” Ducky assured immediately.  
  
“Let us go into my home where we can discuss this in private. All day I have been looking forward to our talk, and whatever delectable delight that you are creating for us this evening.  
  
“I think that’s a good idea, Ducky,” Tony agreed, and followed the older man up the stairs and then inside picking up the grocery bags on the way in.  
  
Tony headed to the kitchen, while Ducky excused himself to go upstairs and change. Although he knew from experience that change really just meant putting his hat up, taking off the bow tie, unbuttoning the top button on his shirt, and rolling up his sleeves. There certainly were none of the sweats and ratty t-shirts that made up Tony’s around the home attire.  
  
He was in the process of putting the dessert together when Ducky came into the kitchen. The eggplant was already cut up, salted, and in a colander to drain off some of the bitter liquid.  
  
“Is there anything that you require my assistance with, Anthony?”  
  
“Nope! I have it all under control cooking wise, but my nerves would appreciate it if we finished the conversation that we started out front.”  
  
He saw his friend nod as he settled on a stool at the island Tony was working at. “I am ashamed that I have been aware of Jethro’s ‘Bedroom Games’, I believe they are referred to as, for quite some time now. I am not sure that it says many positive things about my character to know that I always overlooked what he was doing to those poor young men just because I did not know them. I reasoned that because I did not know any of the individuals, and he was not hunting his pretty here within the Navy Yard that it was none of my business.  
  
Looking back at the whole ordeal, while I am not sure what could have been done to end it, I realize now that I had a moral obligation to make you and young Timothy aware of the danger he posed to your psyche. I also should have informed the director due to the potential risk it posed to the image of the agency should his activities ever come to light in the public eye.  
  
Ducky sighed, and Tony put on the teapot for his friend as he listened. “Had I done so, you certainly would not have been so unjustly injured after being caught in his web of deceit and lies. I can assure you that I most certainly believe your version of the events. I also confessed my knowledge of past acts to the director and advised Jethro that I cannot continue to turn a blind eye to his actions. I further informed him that in my professional opinion he needs to take advantage of the required counseling and get the help that it is apparent he so desperately needs.”  
  
“That must have gone over well,” Tony muttered. When the tea kettle whistled, he took it to the island, then retrieved a tea cup and Ducky’s favorite Earl’s Gray that he had imported from a shop in London.  
  
“Unfortunately, you are correct. Jethro did not take the suggestion well. Nor did Abigail, who I also gave a strong talking to. Her belief that Jethro is some near-perfect hero without flaws is both foolish and beyond juvenile. Even should she be reluctant to believe your reciting of the events, she should have observed enough of his uncouth behavior on a daily basis that she should not need to be educated by either you or myself that he is not the hero of perfection that she views him as being.  
  
“Strike two?” Tony asked putting their dessert in the refrigerator to set before moving onto the salad as the eggplant was not quite yet done sweating.  
  
“Yes, again, unfortunately, you are correct. She most assuredly did not take the dressing down well. Therefore I was forced to relay that conversation to the director, and recommend some serious changes to bring her booted feet back down to the ground.  
  
“While you have not mentioned her, I feel that I should mention that Ms. David’s position within NCIS is being re-evaluated. All of the other team leaders within the Navy Yard refused to accept her onto their teams until she has at a bare minimum completed full FLETC training as another new hire would, and has undergone a full security risk assessment by the Department of Justice due to her ties to Mossad. Then there is the open knowledge of her sending NCIS information to her father during her years in the liaison position.”  
  
Tony nodded knowing that he wouldn’t even consider her on his own team without both things, as well as required electronic monitoring of every keystroke she made on her PC. Not that he’d ever allow her onto his team. She had neither the personality he was looking for nor the willingness to work as a team that he required. Ziva would always think of herself first, Mossad second, and everything else far, far down the line.  
  
“While we have the heavy things on the table, Ducky. There is something that I need to know.”  
  
Putting the chopped up romaine, tomatoes, sliced black olives, and the feta and shaved parmesan in a bowl, he looked up at the older man. “Do you really believe that I have Narcissistic Personality Disorder? Because I have to tell you that has to be the most hurtful thing someone I trusted has said about me in quite a while. It took my frat brother, who is a big named psychiatrist, a full weekend to talk me down from that one.”  
  
The shock could be easily seen on the ME’s face, but the cause for it, he wasn’t sure of. The first words out of his mouth did not in any way help the older man’s cause. “Anthony, I can assure you that you were never meant to be made aware of that conversation.”  
  
“Wow,” Tony let out, feeling more than a little amount of disbelief.  
  
“So that makes it ok? Because you don’t have the courage to call me a narcissist to my face it’s alright in Dr. Mallard’s book? Jesus, what am I doing here? This was obviously a mistake.”  
  
Not even caring about the food, Tony turned away and headed toward the door intending to leave. The scrape of the stool across the wood floor of the kitchen signaled that he was being followed. He’d almost made it to the entranceway where his coat was when the elderly man finally spoke.  
  
“Anthony, please give me a moment to explain!”  
  
Grabbing the garment from the hook it was hanging on, Tony turned to glare angrier and more hurt than he’d started out. “Talk fast, Dr. Mallard.”  
  
“That conversation should never have happened,” Ducky admitted anxiously.  
  
“I allowed myself to be lured into a conversation that was both unkind to you as well as a complete misinterpretation of your character. When Jethro made the comment in jest that he was familiar with the disorder, I knew that it was you whom he was referring to. He had been focused on you negatively all throughout the case.  
  
“Like a coward, instead of telling him that he was wrong to malign your character so, and point out how many more of his own personality traits fit the disorder than yours do, I joked along with him. I buckled because I didn’t want to risk fouling one of his rare good moods with the truth. It was inexcusable, and another poor showing of my disposition. I in no way believe such a horrid thing about you. Please, tell me how I may rectify this faux pas.”  
  
Tony sighed and finished putting his coat on. “Time, Ducky. You’ll have to give me time for the edge to wear down on the hurt. I’ll get over it eventually. I just… Things will need to be different in the future. I have an opportunity for a fresh start, and I am taking it. One of my personal new rules for myself is that I expect the people in my life to treat me better. I’m not going to just roll over and show my belly every time they treat me bad. I’m tired of it being expected that it’s ok for my friends to hurt me, and I should just suck it up.”  
  
Taking a deep breath, he rolled his neck and tried to see past his hurt. “If you ever run your mouth about me in such a manner again, I won’t just look past it the next time. That being said, I value your friendship and guidance. I do need a favor, though. If you have some or know of where I can get some good high-quality lapsang souchong tea I would appreciate it. One of my team members favors it, and I’d like to keep some on hand for him in my office.  
  
The doctor nodded quickly, and Tony almost felt bad for the pain he saw on his face. But, as Ducky rushed off he reminded himself that his pain was important, too. It was a new day, a new mindset, and a new path he was walking.  
  
When his host rushed back with a tin, Tony took it offering his thanks. “I promise that this isn’t forever, Ducky. Just for now. I will call you when I am ready. You have my word.”  
  
Ducky nodded unhappily. “I will trust in your word, and remain patient for your signal that you are ready for me to make amends, Anthony. You have my word as a gentleman that such a transgression will never happen again.”  
  
Tony smiled weakly, and then after explaining what to do with the eggplant, left to find a pizza. He would need some sausage and extra cheese to soothe them. He was discovering that putting yourself first didn’t prevent the pain. He just hoped that there was some reward on the back end of the whole thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last bit from the NCIS side of things for this story. If things go to plan though, we will see more of them in future installments. I have plans, but how long it takes them to see light is unknown. As for this installment, it's all about Tony's new life from here on out. The next chapter brings more team members! Hope you enjoyed this, and continue to enjoy the upcoming chapters!


	9. The Second Recruit & Slavery is Illegal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony meets his second recruit, and bonds with him over tea while learning the man's story. Then an encounter with a Section Chief helps him pick both his SFA and Junior Technical Analyst.

Banner by Rivermoon1970

 

 

**Chapter Nine:** _ The Second Recruit & Slavery is Illegal _

 

 

Chin Ho Kelly was setting up his new desk, and computer in the EU&IU’s area when a paper ball hit him in the head. Frowning, he looked up to see his new boss standing at the railing outside of his desk grinning.  
   
“You’re working too hard, Kelly. If you move that damned pencil holder, again, I’m taking it away from you. Why don’t you come up here, and sit with me? It seems I have a Lapsang Souchong tea that will go to waste if you don’t come drink it.”  
   
Chin watched his new boss walk into his office, and wondered if it was really true that the man had his favorite tea. Deciding that he wasn’t going to take the chance and miss out, he hurriedly locked down his station and headed up to the office.  
   
Walking in, the first thing that Chin noticed were the framed classic movie posters on the walls. “You a movie buff, Boss?”  
   
Heading to the desk, Chin sat down in a chair and lifted an eyebrow at a miniature blue mason jar mug with a metal lid on it. When the other man didn’t say anything, just sat back in his chair smirking, Chin carefully took the top off the mug. Immediately the smoky scent of the beverage hit his nose. Taking a sip his eyes got big. “This is really Lapsang Souchong.”  
   
When his boss just smirked at him, Chin took another sip. “This is not some bagged tea either. Where on earth did you get Lapsang Souchong loose leaf tea?”  
Chuckling, Tony took a sip of his espresso and smiled sadly. “I have a dear friend from my previous job. He is the most interesting man I have ever met in my life. If you ever need a fascinating tale, Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard is your man. He was born in Scotland and spent a great deal of his life traveling around the world. He is also a tea enthusiast, but somewhat of a snob about it. He refuses to drink anything that as he says comes in paper. Fornell remembered what you liked… kinda. He described it as being as strong as coffee, but tasting like someone just sucked on the wrong end of a pipe.”  
   
Tony shrugged and sipped his drink before finishing. “So, I did some research then asked Ducky if he had some. He gave me some from his personal collection. He also wanted me to pass along that he will make sure the office is kept supplied. So, Chin Ho Kelly, tell me how you really feel about being traded like an old baseball card.”  
   
Chin chuckled as he sipped his tea. “It was a little weird at first, but I am thankful to have a job. I could be stuck back in Hawaii as a security guard for some tourist attraction. It’ll be nice to get a chance to do something other than stare at a computer all day though. Don’t get me wrong, I love doing computer work, and I might have your man babies for that computer cave you built for me and my assistant to use. But there is more to police work than what you can find on a computer. I miss all of the stuff I don’t get to do on a regular basis. I don’t know as I am the best undercover operative in the FBI, but I am willing to do whatever I need to do to improve. Fornell told me that you were one of the best, so it sounds like I have the right person to teach me.”  
   
Tony shrugged trying to pretend that he wasn’t blushing. “What do you miss about Hawaii the most?” He asked scooting his chair back and resting his feet on his desk.  
   
Chin didn’t hesitate before answering. “My family. Ohana is everything, and I don’t have any of it here.”  
   
Tony nodded smiling. “I don’t have much family not that counts anyway. My father basically hates me, and my mother died when I was a child. None of the rest of the family really admits I exist, except for my cousin TK. He I don’t know what I would do without. So, I guess I know what you mean, just on a smaller scale. When TK is on one of his assignments we don’t get to talk, and I worry.”  
   
“Assignments? What does he do?” Chin asked finishing off his tea and setting the cup on his boss’ desk.  
   
“He works for the CIA,” Tony answered, and Chin saw his boss’ grin grow. He suspected it was most likely from the dumbfounded expression on his face. He’d never heard of anyone who liked anyone from the CIA.  
   
Tony laughed before going on. “He’s a good guy for being one of those CIA bastards. I don’t like most of them, but I’d trust TK over anyone. In fact, he’s the connection to your other teammate.”  
   
“The one that hasn’t been here yet?” Chin asked curious about the other person he would be working for. Fornell told him the team was still being built, and that if he ever let Tony down the world wasn’t big enough to hide him. “I’m not even sure of his name.”  
   
“William Brandt, but he goes by Will. Formally of the CIA as I said already. TK recommended him, and I didn’t hesitate. He’s a good guy. Way too many morals for an agency like the CIA.”  
   
Chin laughed, and Tony continued not looking like he felt bad in the least. “He is getting some things wrapped up, and then he and his partner will be moving here. Will should be here Monday last I heard.”  
   
“Partner? I thought there was just two of us other than you.” Chin asked confused, and Tony nodded.  
   
“There are. Think more as in life partner, and less as in the person who watches your back when you go out into the field. So, do you have a family member in particular that you miss the most, or is it just a general whole clan type of thing?”  
   
“My cousin Kono,” Chin again quickly responded. His baby cousin had been a balm to his soul when the rest of the family turned their backs on him during the mess with HPD.  
   
“When I got thrown off out of the PD back in Honolulu, she was the only one who believed in me. She was a pro-surfer at the time, but she’s since graduated college and has been accepted into FLETC. We are hoping that she will get a spot here in DC. I know she wouldn’t be right for our team, but I… I put in a word with Fornell.”  
   
Chin felt almost embarrassed that he’d done it. Some people didn’t care for the nepotism that tended to occur in law enforcement, but Kono was special to him. It would mean the world to him if he could have her close again.  
   
Tony cocked his head at the hesitation. “Nothing wrong with that. I know that the team McGee is going to needs a couple more people. Never be afraid to make a recommendation, including for family, and especially if it’s family that you a) adore, and b) think will make you proud.  
   
“This business is full of nepotism. No need to be afraid to add to it. It ain’t stopping anytime soon. What do you want from me? I mean, boss wise? What is the one thing you want from me more than anything?”  
   
Chin frowned and hung his head, then lifted it to look Tony straight in the eye. “I assume you know about what happened in Hawaii, and why I left. All I want is a fair chance.”  
   
Tony nods slowly. “There was quite a bit of money that went missing. You said you didn’t do it, and they said that you did. They couldn’t prove it, but they fired you anyway. Look, Chin, no one likes a crooked cop, but until you’re proven to have done something wrong, I’m not playing the ‘what if’ game.”  
   
Tony sighed and drained the rest of his coffee. “About six years ago, I was accused of murder for the first time. Since then, I have been accused two more times. I’ve never in my life killed someone when I wasn’t carrying a badge, or as a member of the law enforcement community. Yet, there are people in this building, in particular, one Agent Ron Sacks, who feel that I got away with something at least once if not more.”  
   
Tony eyed Chin, and the older man felt like he was being judged, but didn’t know why. When his boss spoke again, his voice was softer, and his words seemed to be chosen much more carefully.  
   
“My last boss was a former marine. He had rules for literally everything. One of the unnumbered ones is ‘you do what you have to for family’. I’m good at what I do, Agent Kelly. Your aunt has been sick for quite a while. Your uncle had access to the money as well. You didn’t steal that money, Chin Ho Kelly. You just kept quiet about knowing who did.  
   
“Remember this, though, bend doesn't break. I have had a crooked partner and crooked bosses. You get in trouble, or if one of yours gets in trouble from here on out, you better damn well come to me. If you don’t, I won’t be covering your ass. I won’t tell you that I will break the law for you or yours because I won’t. But I will do my best to make sure everything is fair, and the scales of justice lean your way. You will always get a fair chance with me. You blow that chance, and I can’t guarantee that you’ll get another one, capisce?”  
   
A little dazed that his boss had figured out a truth HPD had been chasing for years but wasn’t going to report the old man, Chin just nodded. This was going to be one interesting job.

 

  
   
   
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
 

 

 

Later that day, Tony was sitting in his office reviewing the files of both Colby Granger, and Elijah Mundo. Both men would be excellent Second in Commands. They each had both investigative, and undercover experience and both were in the military. There wasn’t really anything to make one man a better choice than the other, and Tony was struggling with his decision.  
   
He had both files out on his desk when a blonde woman barged into his office without knocking. He was more than slightly amused to see AD John Evans following behind her sedately. “You will NOT take Elijah Mundo. He’s mine. He belongs to Cyber Division, and he’s staying with Cyber Division.” The woman demanded, and Tony arched an eyebrow at her. Deliberately, he made a show of moving Elijah’s file over Colby’s.  
   
“Last I heard slavery was illegal. You must be Section Chief Avery Ryan. I’d say it’s a pleasure to meet you, but I don’t reward rude behavior.”  
   
“I don’t need to be nice to you, Agent DiNozzo. I outrank you. I know what your reputation is, and I know all about your former boss Leroy Jethro Gibbs. There isn’t a bigger prick or anyone who flies looser with the rules than him. I won’t have you corrupting one of my people.” Avery put her hands on her hips, and Tony lifted an eyebrow.  
   
“Again, I would like to point out slavery is illegal. You don’t own anyone. He isn’t your anything. I would also like to point out that Elijah Mundo is on this very short list because when I called him to ask if he was interested he expressed a strong desire for change.  
   
“It’s not easy when a co-worker dies. It’s less easy when your father dies on top of it. Lastly, it’s even less easy when your boss shows very little sympathy, or takes little action to help you when you’re stressed beyond your limits. Then when you snap she reacts after the fact and punishes you, but never once apologizes for not being there when you needed her.”  
   
When the blonde woman paled, Tony took a red lined folder out of a drawer and threw it on top of the pile. “The IA investigation report into Agent Mundo’s excessive force complaint. They found that he’d been under a huge amount of stress prior to the incident. They also found that you were aware of his father’s situation, but other than a few words of sympathy did nothing to help him.  
   
“No recommendation to speak with the in-house psychiatrists, no recommendation to speak with an out of house psychiatrists. Surely BEING a psychiatrist yourself you’d have SOME clue that he was a ticking time bomb.”  
   
Tony scowled angrily, and wanted to get in her face, but forced himself to remain sitting. “He advised me that he can’t work for you anymore. He also informed me that he doesn’t trust you anymore. Been there, done that, and I have the t-shirt to prove it. There are many amazingly strong, independent, and powerful women in law enforcement. Some of them have an awesome ability to weight when to be a bitch, and when to be a friend. In this instance, Section Chief Ryan, you failed completely.”  
   
Pulling a folder out from the bottom of his stack, Tony waved it at the SC. “This, Section Chief Ryan, is what happens when you sit someone down and be frank with them. This is the report of Agent Mundo’s scheduled sessions with the in-house doctor I recommended for him.  
   
“When I explained that in order to be considered it would be necessary, but beyond that he needed to do it for himself, he did it willingly. I’ve been in my position for about two weeks. I talked to Agent Mundo the day after I was hired about his interest. I spoke with him this past Monday about the psych requirement. He’s already had his first visit and checked in with me to thank me for forcing him to do it. Stop being an unnecessary bitch. Stop playing head games with people.”  
   
When Avery began to speak, Tony just cut her off uninterested in her words. “You know what? I thank you, Section Chief Ryan. Until you came in, I was deadlocked between Agent Mundo and another very competent applicant. AD Evans, I will be choosing Agent Elijah Mundo as my SIC. I will also be taking his recommendation and hiring Raven Ramirez.”  
   
When Avery screeched, Tony just held up a hand then put his fingers and thumb together like a mouth shutting. “Hush with you. It’s not my fault you people are stupid.”  
   
Looking over Avery’s shoulder at the AD, Tony sat back and crossed his arms. “She said she’d sign the same deal as the BAU’s analyst Penelope Garcia. Agent Mundo talked to her. She’s willing to come in and sign the paperwork as soon as we like. I’d appreciate it if we can do it ASAP.”  
   
John Evans nodded trying not to laugh. Avery Ryan wasn’t a bad person, but he felt that sometimes she let her Psychiatrist side get in the way. She wasn’t a doctor here. She was a Section Chief of the BAU. In his opinion, she’d failed both Agent’s Mundo and Ramirez. He was more than happy to take advantage of the talent that her side threw away.  
   
“Sir, you can’t possibly…”  
   
“Section Chief Ryan, before you dig yourself a hole you can’t get out of. I suggest that you remember that I am the Associate Director here. I outrank you, as you so kindly threw your higher position in Agent in Charge DiNozzo’s face earlier. Don’t throw stones you don’t want hurdled back at your head.  
   
“I also want to advise you that the director himself gave Agent in Charge DiNozzo free reign to as he calls it ‘Pillage and Plunder’ from anywhere he wanted. I spoke to Agent Mundo myself, and he expressed to me his need to switch teams. Just as he did to Tony. You messed up, Avery. Unfortunately for you, someone else saw his worth and is more than willing to try and build up what you tore down. Live and learn, Section Chief Ryan, live and learn.”  
   
Tony watched the AD turn and head for the door. Pausing just before crossing it he glared at SIC Ryan crooking a finger at her. “AIC DiNozzo, we will leave you now. I will see to it both are added to your team right away. Good job, son. You’re building an impressive team.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note about other stories. I have three challenge fics coming up in May. Two for the Criminal Minds Big Bang here on AO3, and one for NCIS RBB on LiveJournal. I am excited about the three fics, and can't wait to share them with you. 
> 
> I'm also doing the Mulligan Challenge in April's Rough Trade, and doing a story I had to abandon in July. Hopefully I can get it finished now that I have an expanded word count. 
> 
> As this story is completely written, none of that will affect the posting of this story. As always I am thankful for those reading and doubly so for those commenting.


	10. Little Bird Probie Recruit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven has gotten her second chance, and is scared to death that she'll mess it up. Comfort and words of wisdom come from her most trusted advisor and someone new in her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Tony in this one, but I wanted to give a glimpse at the new team coming together. There will be something bigger down the road, but this is our first look into the new personalities. I absolutely LOVE Hayley Kiyoko's character Raven Ramirez and have started using her quite often when I get the chance. There are mentions of DB Russel's death on CSI Cyber, which is an AU from what happened on the show. I thought that it was more realistic.
> 
> This is one of those bits that wasn't in the original version on Rough Trade. So, for those that read it there, this will be new for you as well.

Banner by Rivermoon1970

 

 

##  **Chapter Ten:** _Little Bird Probie Recruit_

 

 

Raven Ramirez was in early on her first day back with the FBI after the Hackers for Hire program she’d been recruited through with Cyber Division was terminated. She wanted to make a good impression with her new boss, especially since she knew very little about him. She was so thankful for this opportunity that he was giving her.

She wanted to rage at Brody Nelson, her former co-worker, ex-lover, and former black hat hacker like herself from Cyber Division, and ask why he hadn’t thought of her during his quest to fight the FBI on a charge he was guilty of. If she’d meant anything to him, he would have, in her opinion, considered how fighting his conviction for hacking could affect her.

She wanted to rage at Avery and ask how she could betray her and get her probation extended in the first place. Raven knew in her heart that she was a better person than when she’d first been placed with the FBI. She hadn’t done anything wrong to deserve the additional punishment. Had she not been so afraid that Avery would use her former partner and lover’s appearance against her, then she would have gone to her, to begin with. She’d been worried though about her boss’ reaction and hadn’t.

Obviously, she’d been right to worry and not trust her considering how everything turned out. In the end, she’d done what they’d asked without any argument. She didn’t want him back in her life. She didn’t want to be part of the black hat world again and had been more than willing to do what needed to be done. No matter how much it hurt a tiny part of her heart, and look where that had gotten her.

She’d been placed back on probation, and then fired when Nelson threw his temper tantrum. Where were the consequences for his actions? He’d been just as guilty of his original charge as she had been, and had openly admitted to doing what he’d been accused of. He deserved to be punished as much as she had. In her opinion, the only thing he’d learned was how to manipulate the system to get away with his bad deeds. If either of them were prone to be slipping backward, she felt like it was him.

Yet, he was rewarded with a spot at FLETC, and a shiny badge with Cyber Division waiting for him once he graduated. Some justice. The whole situation left her scared, uncertain, and feeling like she had no clue how to not repeat her past mistakes. She wanted this spot so bad but was scared to death that she was going to shoot herself in the foot.

“How did I know that you’d be here at the butt crack of dawn?” she heard, and looking up saw Elijah Mundo standing there holding two coffee cups. Eli was the team leader in Cyber Division under Avery and more than a little responsible for the second chance that she was being given. Looking just behind his left shoulder, she saw a tall Asian man she didn’t know watching her with a calm friendly expression. She assumed that he must be one of the new teammates.

“I thought that I told you to relax?” Elijah chided gently drawing her attention back to him. The man had been wonderful in the amount of hand holding that he’d done for her since she’d been fired, even in the midst of his own personal turmoil. Raven had always liked Mundo but felt like since her firing they’d really become actual friends instead of just co-workers who were friendly.

She’d spent many hours on his couch raging about how much of a jackass Brody Nelson was and listening to him mourn the end of his marriage. They’d both grieved the death of DB, whom while they hadn’t worked long with, they both had grown to like a great deal. She could easily see Elijah becoming something of an older brother if things kept progressing. He’d never be a romantic interest. She’d always wanted a brother, though, and would rather have that relationship anyway.

Raven watched Elijah set the two cups he’d been carrying down on a nearby desk, then turn back to her opening his arms. “Come here.” He requested.

Eagerly, she stood and stepped into his arms grateful for the hug. “I’m just so scared of messing up! I don’t know what I’m supposed to do anymore.”

She felt a kiss to her temple before the man pulled away. “Why don’t the three of us go up to my office and talk?” Elijah suggested, and Raven nodded eagerly. She saw the other man nod as well before her boss handed her a cup.

“Your tea, ma’am.”

Raven smiled, and offered her thanks, and then followed the two men up to an office with Elijah’s name on the door. Following the stranger’s lead, she took a seat in front of the desk as her friend settled behind it.

“First things first. Raven Ramirez, I would like you to meet Agent Chin Ho Kelly. He is the Senior Technical Analyst and therefore you will be working with him the closest. He will have final say between the two of you in any decisions you two would make. This team though works similarly to Cyber Division in that you will have contact with everyone on the team. Agent in Charge DiNozzo is looking for a close friendly atmosphere between team members and I am fully onboard with that.”

Elijah sipped his coffee, which Raven knew would be black. The former Marine was very particular about sugar and creamer not going anywhere near his joe.

“Because Agent Kelly will also work undercover, he will not always be there to help you if you are unsure about a course of action. You can come to either Tony or me if you need help. I am more up on the technical side of things than the boss, but don’t underestimate his skills. He may ask more questions, but he catches onto things pretty quickly from what I have gathered so far. He seems to be a pretty smart cookie, and I don’t expect any issues as long as you are willing to explain points he needs clarification on.”

“Krummy offered to help, too. Is that alright?” Raven asked holding the tea between both hands. She wasn’t cold but did find the warmth soothing on her nerves. Daniel Krumitz was part of her team at Cyber Division and was the only person she’d remained in contact with after leaving. While he’d expected her to prove her loyalty when she first came to Cyber, he’d never thrown her past in her face once he was satisfied that she was trustworthy.

She saw Elijah nod at her before he replied to her question. “Just remember that Krumitz is in a different department. So, try and be careful to limit case specific details. If we need him to assist on a formal basis, then we’ll have to go through Avery. SC Ryan isn’t really happy with us right now. So, we don’t want Krummy to be put in the middle man spot between us and her. Now, let’s talk about you being afraid of messing up.”

Raven watched her friend who seemed to be struggling for words. It seemed as if he was having some kind of wordless conversation with Agent Kelly. She was a little surprised when it was the man next to her who spoke instead of her friend.

“I haven’t always worked for the FBI. I started out with the Honolulu Police Department as a beat cop. I’d lived on the island my whole life, and all of my family lived there. Ohana or family is everything there. I had made it to detective when some money from a drug raid went missing.”

Surprised at where the story seemed to be going, Raven couldn’t help but look to Elijah unsure. Her friend seemed to be unsurprised and was watching her calmly. Unsure of what to expect, she turned her attention back to the former detective.

“They all assumed that I had taken it because I was in charge of it. Even though they had no evidence, the assumption of my guilt was enough to get me fired. If it wasn’t for Unit Chief Fornell coming along, I’d be working security at some tourist attraction assumed to be guilty of something just because I had access.”

“But you didn’t do it?” Raven guessed needing to make sure she understood what he seemed to be saying.

“No, I didn’t do it,” Chin confirmed softly. “I knew who did, though. I could have turned them over, and I would have been off the hook.” He added to her surprise.

“Some would say that knowing and not turning the information over would make me as guilty as the one who actually took the money. I made a conscious decision to let the guilty party get away with it, though.”

“Because they were someone you cared for?” She guessed looking from Chin to Elijah and back to see the older man looking at her with a raised eyebrow and a half smirk.

“What makes you say that?” Elijah asked drawing her attention back to him.

Raven thought about her guess making sure of her words before speaking. “I spent more than a few years around criminals and bad people. Then since coming to work for the FBI, I’ve gotten to know you pretty well, Eli. You’re probably one of the most honorable people that I know. The only thing that I can find in common between good people and the bad guys is that they all do what needs to be done for the people that they care about.

“Agent Kelly said that Ohana or family means everything to him. So, if he let people think that he did something he didn’t when he knew who did it. Then that individual must be someone that he cares about. Most likely a member of his family, or someone that he considers family.”

She saw Chin nod his head smiling. “Very good. Your deduction is correct. You will make a good investigator. Deductive reasoning isn’t really something you can teach. You can try, but some people just seem to have a natural knack for it. It looks like you may be one of those people.”

Turning her eyes back to Elijah pleased, but slightly embarrassed at the compliment, she saw him smiling proudly. It was at that point that she felt herself relax slightly.

“You’re not going to mess up, Raven,” Elijah said quietly and firmly. “I know who you are, and I know who you used to be. I wouldn’t have recommended you for this position if I believed that you would do anything but succeed. My opinion wasn’t asked when Avery spoke against you. If it had been I wouldn’t have agreed with it, and I don’t agree with it now.

“In my opinion, you have more than proven yourself. We all have moments of conflict or times when our past comes up and we get scared. Lord only knows I have people in my past that I don’t want my new team to meet. You shouldn’t, in my humble opinion, be penalized for being human.”

Elijah sighed and she watched him drain his coffee, then throw the paper cup in the trash can before he continued. “I know that it’s hard, but we have to put Cyber Division, and Avery in particular, behind us. Tony seems to be a really cool dude, and he’s already helped me so much to get my head back on straight. We have a real second chance with this team to start fresh. Letting Avery’s mind games linger in our heads will only hurt our chances for success here.”

Understanding what he was saying, Raven took a deep breath as she nodded. “So, in other words, put my big girl panties on, and buck the fuck up, Mundo?”

Hearing a chuckle from beside her, she grinned seeing Eli shaking his head. “Only you, Ramirez. Basically, yes. That is what I recommend. Let the past be the past, or it’s going to darken your future until you do.”

“How very Zen of you,” Chin quipped, and she saw Elijah grin big.

“I was channeling you, Kelly.”

She saw her partner nod, and smile lifting his coffee cup up in salute. Leaning back in her chair, Raven let their snarking back and forth relax her nerves, and eventually joined in. Just maybe this would work out for her finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that you enjoyed!
> 
> Next week is the big date, FINALLY!! It will be filled with schmoop and angst, and I am excited to share it.
> 
> Just a reminder, you can find pictures of all the characters in the story, even characters just mentioned, but play a role like Krummy in the Character Listing on my Word Press page. You can find the story Main Page [HERE](https://angelicinsanity.com/2017/01/26/second-time-main-page/) with a link to the chapters posted, character page, and acronyms used frequently.


	11. Aaron & Tony Vs. DiNozzo & Hotch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big date arrives. Tony and Aaron discover they are more compatible than they think. As Tony gets to know Aaron, both DiNozzo and Hotch have to decide if they approve of this new romantic venture between their other selves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not as split personality as the summary makes it sound. Hopefully, it makes more sense when you read it. :) You might want a tissue handy. This one made me sniffle when I wrote it, and again when I proofread it.

 Banner by Rivermoon1970

 

##  **Chapter Eleven:** _Aaron & Tony Vs. DiNozzo & Hotch_

  
  
  


It was finally time for the date. It was less than a week late, and considering their jobs, Tony was pretty impressed by that. OK, so technically only Aaron could be called away, but he had been. It had apparently been a pretty easy case because they’d gotten home that morning. Aaron had stopped by his office first thing to tell him the date was on. Tony was eyeballing the two dress shirts that he had to wear when he heard a knock on his doorframe. Turning his head, he waved in his SIC and went back to studying the shirts.

Feeling Elijah come to stand next to him, Tony waved a hand toward the shirts. “Opinion?”

“Hmm… Date?” Elijah asked and Tony nodded.

“First, with Agent Hotchner from the BAU. If I find that on the rumor mill, Mundo, your fingers will never be unglued from your keyboard.”

“Mums the word boss. He’s pretty hot, kind of serious. Where’s he taking you?” Elijah was leaning toward the green silk, but he could be swayed by the black turtleneck with the black paisley patterned jacket.

“Laporta’s. I’ve never heard of it. I Googled it, though. Seems expensive, and they have live jazz. Color me impressed.”

“You should be, boss. That place is awesome, and the music is fantastic. I’d suggest the zip-up mock turtleneck, with the fancy patterned coat. Maybe slick your hair back kinda? It’ll be a good look on you I think.”

Tony grinned and slapped his SIC on the shoulder. “See, Mundo, THIS is why I hired you.”

“Funny,” Elijah snorted grinning, “I thought it was because Avery came in here, and royally pissed you off. I sent her a fruit basket as a thank you, by the way. I felt it was only right.”

Tony laughed as he stripped off his shirt. “You are a man I can understand, Mundo. The two of us may make all of Cruz’s hair fall out. How’s Raven doing?”

“She’s barely restraining her enthusiasm. She’s dying to come in here and hug you, again. If she sees you without a shirt on, I’m not sure I’ll be able to hold her back, Boss.” Elijah grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.

Tony laughed loudly and hollered. “NO MOLESTING THE BOSS, RODRIGUEZ!”

“AWW MAN!” was heard from the floor, and both men snickered.

When Tony was dressed, he turned to look at Elijah who gave him a thumbs up. “You’re gonna knock his socks off, boss. You said you had something to ask?”

Tony frowned then remembering bopped himself in the forehead. “YES! Next weekend. I am thinking Saturday, I want everyone to come over for dinner. Think of it as a getting to know each other dinner. It’ll be at… well, I don’t have a home right now. OK, I do… I actually have two, but I can’t stay at mine. The place I am staying at though is not mine. It is in a gated patrolled community, though, so certain irritating people from NCIS can’t stalk me. Don’t forget rule #18 when you are inviting people.”

Elijah whipped out his phone. “I’m ready, Boss. Lay it on me.”

Tony smirked. “TEAM functions need to involve the whole TEAM. If it doesn’t, then it isn’t a TEAM function.”

Elijah nods frowning as he puts it into his notepad to distribute to the team. So far they had Rule#1 ‘Don’t sit on the sidelines while your people are in trouble’. The DiNozzo Motto ‘Always be prepared’, Rule # 20 ‘Marines don’t know everything’, and Rule #8 ‘There’s a movie for every scenario’.

Elijah was personally offended by rule #20. When he expressed this, he learned Rule #15 ‘Superglue is an authorized form of punishment’. That one sucked.

Elijah frowned at the new rule. “That one seems like common sense, Boss.”

Tony just snorted with amusement and added another reason why his new team was so awesome to his mental list. “You’d be surprised. People are assholes, Mundo. Always remember that.”

“Is that a rule?” He asked, finger ready to add it to the list.

Tony thought about it then nodded. “It is now. Label it as 26.” Elijah nodded and added #26 ‘People are Assholes’ to his list.

“Sounds reasonable. I will let the team know about the dinner next weekend. Good luck on your date, and I will see you Monday with coffee. I expect details.”

When Tony lifted an eyebrow, Elijah grinned unapologetically. “Come on, Boss. Cops gossip worse than teenage girls. Besides that, I’m single again. I need to live vicariously through someone!”

Tony just snorted and waved a hand. “Off with you. There better be sweets if you want any serious details, and if you tell Raven I will do more than superglue your fingers to your keyboard, Mundo!” Elijah walked away laughing, and Tony muttered under his breath about insolent employees.

Tony was headed to Aaron’s office and decided to stop and check in with Tobs. Knocking on the door, he walked in and set himself down in front of the older man’s desk. He could tell the other man was checking out his clothes as he finished his conversation. If he had to guess from the yelling and insults, he’d say it was Gibbs.

When he hung up the phone, Tony arched an eyebrow. “Gibbs still pissed?” Tony asked, and Tobias waved a hand in the air.

“Of course he is. Says that we’re traitors for stealing McGee, and since his psych eval with the Homeland shrink didn’t go well he’s on mandatory psych leave. We aren’t talking about him and his many issues, though. I thought that you were going on a date? You look nice by the way.”

“Thanks, Tobs. I am on my way to Aaron’s office. It occurred to me that my car would be here overnight. Are you coming in tomorrow? I know it’s Saturday, but I wasn’t sure.”

Tobias nodded. “Yeah, I have some paperwork to do. You can ride in with me.”

Tony nodded relieved. “Cool. I told the kids about dinner. You’re sure you don’t mind us all in the house while you are at your brother’s?”

Tobias scowled. “I’ve told you a million times that it’s your house, too. Even once you get your own place your room is yours. Have you decided what you want yet?”

Tony shook his head, and Tobias shrugged. “Well, no rush. Have fun on your date. I won’t wait up.”

Smiling, Tony nodded, and as he walked out he tapped the door frame twice. Without turning, he said, “I don’t know what I would have done without you, Tobs.”

Heading off to Aaron's office Tony left a pleased Fornell behind. Picking up the phone, he called security to advise them Special Agent Leroy Gibbs, Abby Sciuto, and Special Agent David wasn't allowed in the building without an escort. They also were not to be escorted up to AIC DiNozzo or his team for any reason. Those idiots weren’t getting to Tony on his watch.

Tony walked up the ramp to Aaron’s office. The door was open, and he could see a tall, thin man with shaggy hair inside. When he reached the doorway, he paused just outside the office and watched the interaction for a moment. The two were obviously good friends, and Tony guessed they had been working together for a while.

There was a momentary pang of pain and regret in Tony’s heart for what he’d lost. Of course, it was that moment that Aaron looked up and noticed him. He could tell the way the profiler cocked his head that he’d noticed the momentary crack in Tony’s façade. When the other man who appeared to be about 10 years younger than Tony, waved his fingers, he lifted an eyebrow but waved back before turning his attention back to Aaron.

“Tony, this is SSA Dr. Spencer Reid. He is one of the profilers on my team.” Tony nodded and smiled at the Doctor.

“It’s nice to meet you. I hope I’m not intruding on something important.”

The doctor shook his head and started to launch into something, but he was quickly cut off by Aaron. “Actually we were just discussing personal things. Are you ready to go?”

Tony nodded as he pressed his lips together trying not to laugh. It was such a familiar action, he didn’t even need explanation. It did give him a pang of longing for his old friend.

He was finding himself missing Ducky a little more every day. The reopened wounds left by the Narcissist Disorder fiasco were healing much slower the second time around. He didn’t want to have to be dealing with this again and longed for someone that would be his friend without leaving noticeable scars in their wake on Tony’s soul. He could see the worry on Aaron’s face and knew that his mask must have slipped again. To be honest… he was a little sick of the damned thing.

The thought was so out of left field that Tony meekly allowed himself to be herded out of the office and into the elevator as his mind tried to process the thought. It wasn’t until they were in the car that he came back to himself. Turning to look at Aaron, he saw the man was sitting with the key in the ignition but was just watching him concerned. “We can put it off if…”

“No! I just…” Tony sighed and ran a hand over his face. “I don’t feel like… DiNozzo. I don’t want you to be disappointed. Tony isn’t as entertaining as DiNozzo is.”

Hotch cocked his head. “DiNozzo? As opposed to being… what?”

Tony thought and shrugged taking a deep breath. “Tony? They are… quite different.”

“Aah,” Aaron replied and turned his head out the front of the car window.

“Then I propose a compromise. You be Tony, and I will be Aaron. We leave DiNozzo and Hotch at the office. I didn’t invite you to dinner to be entertained. I invited you because I wanted to get to know you. Be whomever you are, and leave the rest at the office.”

A tiny ball of fear formed in the pit of Tony’s stomach. Could he really do that? Just… be Tony? He wasn’t sure that anyone other than Trent and Tobias had ever wanted Tony around. Everyone else wanted DiNozzo until they didn’t then they just didn’t want any part of him. “What if you hate Tony?”

“Somehow I don’t see that happening. Why don’t we leave the worry for later, unless you can’t and that’s ok, also?” Aaron turned his head to look at Tony, again. It was the matching look of fear and vulnerability that convinced him to take a chance.

“OK, Aaron. Take me to dinner.”

When they were seated at the restaurant, Tony was still trying to squash the fear of letting his true self out. He’d already been rejected by Gibbs, and he wasn’t sure that enough time had gone by to be sure he could recover from a rejection from Aaron as well. “Tony we can…”

“The first person that made it clear they didn’t want me was my father. I was eight years old, and my mother had just died. It was the day of her funeral, and I had been crying for a week.

“My mother was an alcoholic who liked to dress me up in weird little outfits and parade me around in front of her friends. They liked to gush and tell me how cute I was and pinch my cheeks then send me off for more booze. I could have been a bartender at a high-class martini bar before I was even 10. Despite that she adored me. She cuddled me when I was sick, and watched old movies with me. She made me laugh, and feel loved, and when she died I wanted to die too because I didn’t want to be without her.

“My father, on the other hand, hated me. He despised my very presence in his life. He certainly didn’t want to waste money on me. The day of the funeral he beat the shit out of me because I wouldn’t or rather couldn’t stop crying. Of course, all the wounds were hidden underneath my clothes. I was advised that day that I was neither wanted nor loved, and that I better fucking shape up, or I would be out on the streets. I was quiet and shy and lonely and I’d lost the only person I really knew in the world. If it wasn’t for Trent…”

When Tony paused, Aaron waited patiently until Tony started speaking again. “I usually don’t tell people his name. Normally, I just call him TK, but… maybe I’m in a mood. Maybe it’s losing everything I had. Maybe it’s just… I am so goddamned tired of pretending. I am trusting you with his safety, Aaron. Other than you, only Tobias knows. The team will learn next weekend. By the way, if you’re free I would like you to come for the team dinner Saturday. Spouses and significant others are invited. I know this is new but…”

“I would love to come,” Aaron assured when Tony stopped speaking. The younger man just nodded and began his tale again.

“TK… Trent… my cousin on my mother’s side. He showed up with his father for my mother’s funeral. My mom was his dad’s favorite sibling, and he was devastated. I think that they knew things weren’t quite right. Anyway, he ended up in an American boarding school, and fast forwarding a lot ended up with the CIA. He’s not always in the country because he’s goddamned good at what he does, but somehow when I need him he always finds a way to be there. As a heartbroken child, he was the only thing that kept me afloat.

“Girlfriends, co-workers, a fiancé… everyone else seems to decide eventually that I’m not worth the hassle. I ended up at boarding school because Trent said I would be safer there, and his father was willing to shell out the bucks for it. I ended up at Ohio State because they offered me a dual scholarship for basketball and football. I ended up in the police department because the Pneumologist who saved me from the plague broke my leg my senior year during the Ohio State and Michigan game, and I saved one child from a fire but had to listen to the other burn.

“I ended up in Baltimore because my previous team leader at the FBI was crooked, and tried to have me killed when it turned out I was a little too good at undercover work. Turns out he was on the take, and a stupid rookie wasn’t supposed to be able to find out that kind of information. He was hedging his bets.

“He hadn’t told Victor about the agent he’d put in his organization until it was too late because I was supposed to be bad at it. Little did he know I’d been doing undercover work since my mother died. I ended up at NCIS because I was too afraid to trust Tobias when he came to save me from my crooked partner at Baltimore PD. I ended up back in the FBI because I was madly in love with my former boss one Leroy Jethro Gibbs. We’d been together… sleeping together for three years. I was expected to be faithful. Apparently, he wasn’t.”

When the waiter showed up at their table, Tony’s expression changed on a dime. If Aaron hadn’t been listening to him, he’d never know the younger man wasn’t as happy and amused as he was pretending to me. It was no wonder they selected him for the Elite Undercover & Investigative Unit Agent in Charge position. If they were smart they’d slap the Unit Chief label on him now, and to hell with the probation. Aaron was going to make sure Cruz knew his opinion on that. When they’d ordered their drinks and an appetizer, the waiter left, and Tony picked up his story.

“You said you want Tony, but no one wants Tony. DiNozzo is the life of the party. He’s fun, he’s juvenile, and he pulls pranks. He’s not serious about anything, and he’ll follow anyone with a strong will around like a puppy. He’s not a threat to anyone with ambition. People love DiNozzo until they don’t.”

“Tony is quieter and likes a more adult social scene. DiNozzo wants parties and keggers. Tony likes museum exhibit openings and art gallery showings. Tony doesn’t let anyone lead him around by his nose, and he’ll take out anyone who fucks with him regardless of where they stand on the ladder. He respects only those that have earned his trust, and trust is not given out cheap. DiNozzo not only doesn’t want love, he insists that he doesn’t need it. A different girl every night is his shtick.

“Tony wants forever and true love and home. Tony wants a place he can call his own, with fur babies, and someone less feminine, and quite a bit more masculine. Tony is about as far from submissive as it gets, but he’s covered in scars. He’s scared shitless, he gets anxious and insecure for no reason, and he will never be easy to live with. If someone would just give him half of what he’s willing to give out, though, he’d be faithful to them forever. Tony will definitely be the alpha in the relationship, but he will treat his partner like a king if they’ll just love his weaknesses along with the strengths. I don’t think I can be DiNozzo anymore, and I don’t know what to do because I need more than two people in my life.”

The waiter brought their beers. Aaron let Tony order drinks first and followed his lead. After hearing about his parents he was glad he’d resisted the urge to order a bourbon even though he was pretty sure he was going to need it for what was going to come next.

“Hotch is the ultimate alpha male. He takes no shit from anyone and bulldozes everyone in his path. He was a shark as a lawyer and runs the BAU the same way. There is no give when it comes to the opponents he faces off with.

“His team is his family, and he is incredibly protective of them. He will do everything in his power though to never show them an ounce of vulnerability. Hotch is the creation of a little boy who got the shit beat out of him so that his younger brother would be safe. A little boy that was in no way prepared to deal with the abusive alcoholic that was his father, and the indifferent, cold blooded bitch that was his mother. Hotch will always protect Aaron, sometimes even from those, he doesn’t need to be protected from.

“Aaron is quiet and likes to read. He’s a little shy, and sometimes afraid to go after what he wants. He’s willing though to let Hotch push him into what he needs if it’s important enough. Aaron doesn’t like being in charge. Aaron married the girl he met in high school because it was what she wanted. Hotch is the one that refused to have a child with her, and threw her out on her ass the first time she cheated on him.”

When the waiter brought their appetizer of fried calamari, he paused and smiled politely, as Tony again drew the waiter’s attention away from him. The profiler in Aaron pointed out it was most likely a combination of a defensive mechanism and a way for him to protect his partner who didn’t like the spotlight. When the man left, Aaron continued as Tony served them both the delicious looking seafood.

“Aaron wants forever with someone who won’t expect him to be in charge but doesn’t expect him to be some doormat either. The thought of an adult relationship like his parents’ scares him to death. Aaron needs someone who will understand his job is as important to him as their relationship, and won’t ask him to choose something he won’t love to save something that’s never going to work. Aaron wants someone he can cuddle with, and be the geek that he really is. He wants to watch old movies and cartoons and read comics without being laughed at. He wants to know he’s safe without needing Hotch to protect him.

“When his ex-wife was killed he felt guilty, but Hotch wouldn’t allow Aaron to make her out to be something more than what she was. She didn’t deserve to die at the hands of that man, but she was also a cheating bitch, who was probably more than a little verbally abusive. He wants to be able to love openly and without reservation. He doesn’t want to have to run his relationship at some pace that other people think he should move at. He may be reserved and shy, but he knows what he wants. There is nothing that you’ve said that has done anything but convince him that you are exactly what he’s been looking for. Aaron would love to come to your dinner party for your team as your significant other, and Hotch approves.”

Tony watched this earnest man who was just as scared as he was. They’d both laid their insides out, and made themselves vulnerable for the sake of something neither one of them understood.

A part of him screamed at him that it was too soon, but a bigger part said that this was right. This here, this moment, this man, this offer was what they’d been waiting for. If this man couldn’t understand him, no one else would ever. When the waiter came to take their dishes and bring their salads, Tony had moved around to sit next to Aaron, and refused to let go of his hand until he had to.

DiNozzo and Hotch approved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> April RT has arrived, and I am again participating. Trying to finish a Tony DiNozzo/CSI crossover fic I started last July. Fortunately, since this fic is completed, it won't affect the posting schedule.


	12. The Austin Brothers & A Surprise Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a reminder that there's a killer out there on the loose that no one knows about. Then Tony gets a surprise visit from someone close to him who explains the difference between a boss and a leader to him.

Banner by Rivermoon1970

 

 

##  **Chapter Twelve:** _The Austin Brothers & A Surprise Visit_

 

_Fayetteville, AR – July 2011_

They’d been scarily easy to subdue. A couple drops in their beer when they weren’t looking, and they were all his. Following them from the bar, he’d been slightly concerned that they’d hit someone, but he reasoned that sometimes sacrifices had to be made in the name of justice. Fortunately, they’d run harmlessly off the road into a field. The car came to a stop when the driver let his foot off the gas.

Getting them out of the truck had been a hassle. Fortunately, the brothers were riding in an older pickup truck, and not one of the newer ones with automatic locks. A well-placed tire iron solved the problem of unlocking the doors. They were heavy to drag out of their seats, but he managed. They didn’t want to sit up on their own, so he’d leaned them against each other with their foreheads touching. After that, he’d been able to take his time. For what they did to that woman, they deserved this. They were monsters just like all the rest. It didn’t matter that the victim had recanted. Victims did that.

They got scared. They got intimidated. They got paid.

That didn’t mean that monsters didn’t deserve to die, though. Someone had to make them pay for what they’d done. He used the army knife to cut off their t-shirts. He could feel the rage in his veins. He wanted to make them hurt. He wanted to annihilate them. He wanted to make them bleed. He wouldn’t be ruled by his emotions, though. It wasn’t time for that. They hadn’t caught on yet. The game hadn’t yet begun.

Setting to work he applied the tattoo to Bo and Bart Austin’s backs. Bo began to moan as he was putting his on. The younger brother, Bo, moved slightly making Bart, the older one, tilt to one side. Aggravated he decided that he didn’t want to wait any longer. Tilting Bo’s head back with a fistful of hair, he could see his eyes fighting their way open.

“This is what happens to the guilty. You may have fooled those that don’t know humanity as well as I do, but you won’t escape my justice.”

Letting Bo’s hair go, he walked around to the older brother, and with a swift confident motion slit his throat from one side to the other. When Bo made a sound of anguish and tried to move away, he just snorted. Kicking him in the head solved the weak rebellion.

“This is justice being done.” He snarled in the man’s ear as he set him up and repeated his actions. Setting the younger man back up, he wiped his hands off on the shredded shirt and went back to his car. One more city was cleansed. It was time to move to Charlotte, SC. There were two separate incidents there that needed his justice.

 

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

 

 

_Quantico/DC Area October 1st, 2011_

 

Tony walked out of the office building and waved to various people that he saw and knew, as he headed toward his car. He was looking forward to a night of relaxation, and maybe a good movie. Tobias wouldn’t be home. His unit had a case that had heated up, and he felt that it was best if he stays in the building in case they needed him.

Getting into his car, he threw his computer bag on the passenger's’ seat then settled in putting on his seatbelt, and adjusting the rearview mirror. He then almost put his head through the roof, as Trent came into view in the back seat.

“Jesus Christ!”

One hand clenched on the steering wheel, and the other over his chest, he tried to calm down, as his cousin laughed in the backseat. Once he’d pulled himself back together, Tony glared into the mirror, as he made his way through the parking garage, making sure to wave at the security guards as always while Trent hid in the back of the SUV behind the darkened glass.

“One of these days I am going to shoot you when you do that. It will be your own damned fault when you end up dead.”

Trent sniffed amused looking wholly unconcerned. “As if. You don’t scare me, DiNozzo. I have seen you shoot. Are you going to pull over so that I can get up front?”

“No!” Tony shot back petulantly, ignoring the snort from the backseat.

“Fine, I will just take a nap then. Let me know when we’re home, James.”

Tony gritted his teeth irritated when his cousin indeed shut his eyes and laid his head back. He had no doubt that the irritating older man would be asleep shortly. He’d turn the radio on loud, but he wasn’t quite that petty. Instead, he contemplated all the ways he could prank the bastard between the time they reached Tobias’ house, and whenever Trent had to leave.

It didn’t seem to matter how old he actually was. Whenever Trent showed up, Tony felt like that little kid, again, who was being saved from a father who just didn’t care about him. His entire life, Trent was the only person that he always knew that he could count on no questions asked. Unfortunately, their jobs kept them apart more than he liked, so he’d learned to make the most of their moments together.

When they reached Tobias’ home, Tony got out and didn’t bother waking Trent. He knew his cousin had woken up the second the car stopped. It was an annoying condition caused by years of not being able to depend on anyone else to watch your back when you were in the field. Sure sometimes Jeremy had been there, but normally Trent was sent in alone, and backup was days and continents away.

Once they were both insides and had changed into more comfortable non-work clothes, Tony headed directly toward the kitchen to start cooking. He wasn’t even going to ask if Tobias knew about this. He’d wondered what was up when the beef bottom round had mysteriously shown up in the refrigerator. This followed Tony finding out someone had been in his Trent’s Alton Brown Food List document, and Tobias claiming he’d been looking for something else.

Getting out his breading trays, Tony set the necessary components out on the counter. He was making chicken fried steak, red skinned mashed potatoes, and Brussels sprouts sautéed with bacon. For dessert, he was just going to chop up some berries that were in the fridge and put them over vanilla ice cream. He should make homemade biscuits, but he didn’t have the time or the patience that night.

Fortunately, he still had a bag of frozen ones in the freezer that he could bake. They weren’t as good as homemade, but they would work in a pinch. His cousin liked to watch Alton Brown’s old show Good Eats while he was on assignment. This lead to a list of things he demanded Tony make for him using Alton’s recipes. Fortunately for TK, Tony was happy to oblige.

Trent came into the kitchen wearing a pair of old jeans and t-shirt in French while Tony was deciding what to start first. He ignored the CIA agent as the older man grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge, then got settled to watch his cousin cook by turning around a chair straddling it. “How are things? Have you found all of your little ducklings yet?”

Tony snorted and shook his head. “No, I still need one more agent, preferably a female. I don’t suppose you have any more surprises up your sleeve? I am thinking I will need a bigger team than what I have, but that will wait.”

Trent grinned and shook his head. “Sorry, I am all out of friends I am willing to sacrifice for the cause. Besides that, I am pretty sure that any of the female operatives that I know would eat you alive, Poco Tino. Father sends his best, or as best as his best gets anyway. He is proud of your advancement. I told him that you would be just thrilled over his happiness.”

Tony laughed but kept cooking. “Your father isn’t horrible. He’s better than mine is.”

“Poco, I love you, but your mastery over the obvious is droll. Saying that someone is a better father than yours is not exactly a ringing endorsement. Although to be fair, I am not sure the ol’ man deserves any better than that.”

Tony couldn’t help but laugh again at his cousin’s sarcasm. “You’re such a cynical old man, TK. You and I have both seen much worse than your dad. His treatment of me has nothing to do with how good of a father that he was to you. All things considered, he wasn’t all that bad to me either. He could have made you stay in England, and left me here completely alone.”

“It’s an old argument, Poco. Let it be. Tell me about your new team.”

Tony rolled his eyes at his cousin but did let it drop. They had been arguing about Trent’s father for years, and it would not be settled that night.

Trent tended to be overprotective and felt that his father should have stepped in and done more to protect Tony from Senior. Tony, however, recognized that the man didn’t have to do anything for Tony at all. Sending his only son to go to school in another country had been a huge sacrifice for the older man who adored his only son. Tony only hoped that his cousin set things right with his father before he’d never have that chance again.

Deciding that the potatoes needed to go on first, Tony dumped the whole bag into the sink to wash and peel as he thought about his new team. “They’re good. I owe you huge for suggesting Will. With hiring someone with almost no undercover experience he’s going to be a big help. He’s already started doing little things to teach Raven about undercover work.

“I think Elijah will turn out to be the perfect SIC for me. Our personalities mesh well, and I like his military background. Plus, he’s a sarcastic bastard who understands keeping things light when it’s needed. Chin Ho Kelly is the King of Zen. I don’t think that I could reach his level of calm if I meditated for a year. He will be basically sharing duties with Raven, and I think he’s set himself up as a mentor for my former black hat hacker birdling. She’s going to need a little extra attention. Her last boss created some trust issues.”

“You sound affectionate toward them already, Tino,” Trent observed as he got himself some of the iced tea in the refrigerator quickly tired of the water. He’d mostly gotten it out for Tony’s benefit. He knew his cousin forgot to keep hydrated as he cooked, and preferred water which wouldn’t mess with his taste palate.

Tony thought about it and shrugged after a few moments. “I suppose that I am. It makes me… I don’t understand how Gibbs could play us against each other for so many years. I can’t imagine doing that to my team, and I’ve only had them for a couple weeks.”

“The difference, Poco, is that he’s bossy, and you lead. Being bossy does not make you a good leader. Being driven and end goal oriented doesn’t make you a good leader of men and women. You have to be able to see the big picture.”

“You understand that running your people into the ground won’t get the case solved faster. You understand that a good leader helps solve the case, not just scream at others because they haven’t gotten the solution yet. A boss screams at people, demeans them, and hits them on the back of the head. A leader teaches them, works with them, and celebrates victories together. Gibbs is a boss. You are a leader.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next week Tony and his Probie Birdling bond over lunch. Then the week after that we have the cookout with the team and some extras.


	13. Lunch with the Boss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven gets some one on one time with the boss.

Chapter Thirteen: Lunch with the Boss

 

Raven was busy working on some backend filters and safety precautions in their personnel and legend databases that would notify her instantly when any of the team members’ files were accessed. It was a joy being able to use her black hat knowledge for good, again.

Until Elijah called her she had been at loose ends. She promised herself that she wouldn’t allow anything to come between herself and this new opportunity. She wasn’t sure how AIC DiNozzo was able to get her a job on the FBI payroll when Avery hadn’t, but she wasn’t going to question it.

Elijah advised her to use the Cyber Division job as a learning experience and put the bullshit behind her. After cutting Avery and Brody both completely out of her life, she felt like she’d done just that. Krummy, however, was a really good dude, who had promised to keep their conversations to himself. They even talked regularly helping each other with ideas. Granted she hadn’t had an actual case, but he had some good ideas on the little project she was working on to safeguard her team.

And, it did feel like hers unlike the Cyber Department job, which always felt like Avery’s alone. Elijah told her that was because Tony was trying to build a family, while Avery wanted a team. He pointed out there wasn’t necessarily a problem with Avery’s approach. It just fit better for some than others.

Daniel Krumitz aka Krummy, for example, loved Avery even after everything went down. While he was more than willing to admit that he hadn’t been happy with how things turned out with either her or Nelson, he still believed in the remaining team. He did insist that those that stayed sit down, and work through some things before he was comfortable staying.

After Raven was let go at the end of the Hackers for Hire program, Krummy went out of his way to keep in touch with her. It was a huge boost up for her ego in those dark days, along with the shoulder Elijah had lent. The relationship that she’d been in with Brody Nelson though had been exposed for what it was. He’d used her out of convenience when all ties to his old life had been forcibly severed. When the charges were dropped and his file was wiped clean, he hadn’t needed her anymore.

His pretty words turned out to be incredibly empty. Had he actually meant anything he said, he would have thought about the consequences his lawsuit would have had on her life and not just his own. Right to the end, though, he hadn’t been concerned about anything other than himself. Not even when faced with the fact that he’d basically gotten her fired. There was no us, just Nelson.

“Do I want to know what you’re doing, Little Bird?” She heard, and looking up saw her new boss standing next to her desk. He was currently one of her favorite people ever.

“Just setting up some backend security, Boss. I mean, what the FBI has set up is ok I suppose, but if our files are going to house basically our entire work lives, I want to make sure no one can get in here without Chin or I knowing.”

She held her breath as she waited for him to respond. It hadn’t occurred to her until just then to ask if she could or should or was allowed to go messing around in security protocols. When Tony nodded, though and smiled slightly she knew she was mostly in the clear.

“Sounds awesome, Probie Birdling. Next time just let Chin, Elijah or myself know before you start messing around with such things ok? I don’t see that it’ll be a problem, so keep on going. Not right now, though. Right now I want you to grab your purse, and come with me. I am hungry, and I am forcing you to have lunch with me.”

When the tall man walked off without waiting for a response, Raven rushed to lock things down before he’d gotten too far away.

“Chop, Chop, Little Bird Probie!” Tony called, and Raven huffed as she ran to make the elevator before it closed.

Eventually, she found herself in the most amazing little family deli eating a pastrami sandwich and some Italian Wedding Soup. Her boss had ordered. He’d only made sure that she ate meat, and didn’t have allergies before ordering. Neither item was something that she would normally order, but she was glad that she’d tried them now.

Her new boss, in general, seemed to be incredibly helpful, and it felt like he genuinely cared about her as a person, while wanting to help her grow and move beyond her past. Again, it was hard to say that Avery hadn’t cared about her in some way. It seemed more that she cared as long as she was controlling Raven’s life, though. Tony so far didn’t seem to want anything but to be her boss and friend.

Family.

She’d never had one, and this new environment, while totally awesome, was a little unsettling. She found herself at times looking to slow the moving earth under her feet.

“Penny for your thoughts, Little Bird Probie.”

“What’s with the Probie, and Little Bird stuff, Boss? I mean, it isn’t that I mind, but I’m not exactly new. I worked with Cyber after all.”

When a flash of pain crossed her boss’ face, she wondered if she’d messed up. Eventually, he answered her question, but his tone was definitely more serious, and quieter than normal.

“On my old team, the one that I worked with at NCIS, I basically did all of the training. It was the way my boss wanted it, and it was the way his boss had done it with him. Probie was just what you called the person you were training who was a probationary agent aka Probie. My boss’ boss, Mike Franks, called Gibbs, my boss, Probie until the day he died. I had two Probies on my team. Gibbs always took the name as a badge of honor. Mine not so much. They seemed to feel that they were above such titles, and saw it as an insult instead of a title of affection that it’s meant to be.”

Tony frowned into his soup, and eventually took a big bite of his sandwich. Raven wasn’t sure if she was supposed to comment or not, so she just stayed silent. She had a feeling that if she waited, she would find that he wasn’t done. Her instincts proved to be right when he eventually continued.

“I’m not always the best with people. There weren’t really… Well, I didn’t spend a lot of time with kids until I got shipped off to boarding school when I was 12. Even then, though, I wasn’t what you would call popular. I was angry. I was a smart ass, and I just didn’t give a fuck about fitting in. It wasn’t until I got to college that I learned anything about friendship. Apparently, a frat house wasn’t the best place to learn friendship etiquette, though. I’ve had a lot of people in my life tell me that who I am isn’t good enough, and for a long time, I tried to give them what they wanted instead. I’m not willing to do that anymore because it only leaves me feeling empty and confused.”

Tony took a few spoonfuls of his soup before he continued this time looking at Raven as he spoke. “You’re my probie, Raven. Yeah, you may be Elijah’s and Chin’s probie. You’re Will’s undercover probie, but you’re my first FBI rookie. I didn’t hire you on a whim. I didn’t just say, ‘Hey, Elijah likes her so she must be swell!’

“I researched you. I looked into your Cyber history. I looked into your black hat history. I looked into your childhood. I have researched every person on this team. You are my probie. If you don’t like it, I will honor your wishes and not use that nickname with you. I won’t like, though, and I won’t tell you that I won’t be disappointed and hurt.

“I don’t know how to build a team, and not make a family, Raven. I know a shit load of ways to build a team without making a family that doesn't work. I don’t know though how to do it, and have it come even close to working without the family aspect. The only team I have ever been on that was even close to being successful was my NCIS team. Flaws we had a plenty, but we were goddamned good at what we did. Dysfunctional may have been a good description of our family dynamic, but we were still a family. It’s the closest I have ever in my life come to feeling like I belonged, and that’s what I want here.”

Raven thought as she ate for a bit. Tony seemed to be willing to let her process his words, and she was thankful for that. With Avery, there was always that aspect of her formal training that got into everything. Sometimes you just needed someone to stop head shrinking you, and let you think.

“Does this come with a sparkly shirt that says Little Bird Probie? ‘Cause I would totally rock that shit, Boss.”

Tony laughed and seemed to relax. One Little Bird Probie firmly on board with the family thing. She was going to succeed here. She had a ton of people behind her, supporting her, and rooting her on. She had a boss that wanted her to succeed in her own way. If nicknames were what it took to make her boss happy, well Raven Ramirez would forever be known from that moment forward as Tony DiNozzo’s Little Bird Probie. She was sure as shit getting a sparkly shirt, though and would wear it with pride.


	14. Baring Your Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team has their cookout to bond and get to know each other. Various personalities come together to share personal stories and bare their souls. Hopefully, by the end they will be closer as people, and sharing pasts won't tear them apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This section almost doubled from it's original format when I first shared it on Rough Trade. I think I like the expanded version much better. A reminder that there is a shit load of AU and non-canon compliance in this story. I think everyone's background has been tweaked somehow.

Banner by Rivermoon1970

 

##  **Chapter Fourteen:** _Baring Your Soul_

 

Aaron pulled up outside of Tony’s house and looked around the street frowning at all the cars around. The dinner didn’t start until 3 PM, but he thought maybe he could come early, and help Tony get things ready. He wasn’t much of a cook, but he could do the basics. He suspected that there were things that he could cut up. Looking at the two cars in the driveway though with neither being Tony’s, he suspected that someone else had the same idea. Disappointed, he got out of his SUV and headed the short walk to the house. Because the street seemed to be so busy, he’d had to park further away than planned.

Reaching the front door, Hotch rang the bell waiting excitedly to see Tony. They hadn’t had much time together all week. Just a few quick moments here and there. When the door opened, his smile quickly turned to a frown, as a dark-haired man with a goatee scowled at him. “Whatever you’re selling, we don’t want any.”

Afraid that he’d gotten the wrong house number, Aaron started to apologize, when he heard a female voice yell, “Robert, you butthead! Don’t scare off the Boss’ new man!”

Quickly after that, a woman shoved her way past this Robert person, and Hotch vaguely recognized her as being one of Tony’s team. She had on a white t-shirt with various letters in pastel sparkly colors that said Little Bird Probie and knew this was Raven Ramirez. Tony had gleefully told him about the shirt he’d had made for her as a special rush order with a local t-shirt shop. He was happy to see she was taking her new title with pride, well aware how much it meant to her new boss.

“Don’t let the butthead chase you away. He’s just mad because Tony won’t let him touch the sharp objects. Come in, and join the madness. Apparently, every person on the team had the same idea.”

Without waiting for him to respond, Raven turned, grabbed his hand, and shoved Robert out of the way. She was pulling him through the house, and Aaron decided to go with it, as it seemed this might actually get him to Tony. Hearing the door close behind them, he looked over his shoulder to see the man Raven had called Robert trailing after him.

Entering the kitchen, Aaron saw literally the entire team minus Tony either there or in the dining room at the table playing trivial pursuit.

“Will, I don’t like her! She ruins all my fun.” The man pouted as he headed around the two of them, and headed to a man Hotch didn’t recognize, but assumed was the CIA convert William Brandt.

“It’s probably best for you that she didn’t,” the man Hotch knew was Tony’s SIC Elijah Mundo said.

“I don’t think Will would be able to save your life if you’d chased his new heartthrob away.” The man he assumed to be Will snorted, and stepped away from the meat that he was seasoning and, after wiping his hands on a towel, held out his hand.

“We haven’t met yet. I’m William Brandt, but please call me Will. The asshole who answered the door is my husband Robert. Feel free to ignore his bullshit. It’s usually for the best.”

Aaron’s lips twitched as the other man smirked at him. He immediately decided that he liked the man. Feeling arms wrap around his waist, and something rest on his shoulder, Aaron looked slightly backward to see Tony standing behind him smiling.

“Come with me.”

Aaron was just able to grab ahold of the two bottles of beer that someone shoved in his hand before he was pulled away and though the house. They ended up in what appeared to be an office, and before he could speak, Tony turned quickly pressing their bodies together claiming his lips in a much-needed kiss. Hotch found himself wrapping his arms around Tony. The cold beer bottles were pressing against the cloth t-shirt Tony was wearing. He wondered if the shiver he felt go through the man was from the cold or the kiss. It was his first official kiss from a man. If they were all this toe curling good, Aaron wasn’t sure why he didn’t do this years ago.

Just before he was about to run out of air, Tony pulled back and pressed their foreheads together panting as he too tried to catch his breath.

“Feel free to say hi like that anytime you wish.” Aaron threw out, tightening his grip on the other man a moment letting him feel how much he’d been affected by the kiss. After a few minutes their breathing calmed down, but neither man felt the need to move. Aaron was finding it nice to rest like this.

“Hi,” he offered quietly, and Tony chuckled.

“Hi, back. I hope Robert didn’t put you off too much. He’s a sarcastic jerk, but he grows on you quickly. Something like a fungus really, but one of those really pretty colored ones that you just don’t want to get rid of.”

Aaron couldn’t help but laugh and found it his turn to rest is head on the other man’s shoulder.

“You smell good.” Hotch offered, then winced at the lameness of the statement.

Tony chuckled, and Hotch felt a kiss pressed to his temple. “You’re so awesome.”

He found himself smiling happily, and decided for compliments like that he’d put up with this Robert person. Even if he’d never been particularly fond of fungi.

Hearing two girls screech, Hotch straightened and frowned at Tony who sighed. “Tobias’ ex-wife called at the last fucking minute and asked if Emily could come home. He was gonna cancel his plans, but I told him not to.”

“So, she’ll be here tonight?” Hotch asked again feeling a little disappointed, but Tony quickly shook his head.

“That was the first plan, but then Emily Fornell met Michelle Mundo aka Mitchie, and my awesome SFA saved our asses.”

Aaron grinned. He already liked Elijah. The man seemed to truly understand how lucky he was to be getting a fresh start with a new boss and had really stepped up to the plate from day one. “Emily is going to his house to spend the night?”

Tony nodded smiling. “Yes, she is. I’m pretty sure that I’m going to owe Lijah a kidney or something. So, I was hoping that you could stay the night? We don’t have to do anything, but I thought it would be nice to… ya know… be together? Even if sex isn’t involved?”

Hotch smiled and nodded, pulling Tony in for another kiss. This time, they broke apart when a distinctly British voice was heard from the other side. “Quit sucking face in there, Poco, and come out. You have other guests, you bloody wanker.”

When Aaron frowned, Tony sighed and shook his head holding up his fingers one at a time. Before he’d gotten to five, the door opened and a shorter bald headed man walked in. “Didn’t you hear me? Come out from there. You have plenty of time to make nasty later with your new toy, Tino.”

Aaron might have been offended by the rudeness, but Tony’s face showed nothing but a mixture of affection and the kind of amused exasperation only brothers or close relatives share. So, he was guessing this was Trent Kort. “Aaron, meet my incredibly impatient cousin Trent Kort. Trent, meet my… Aaron.”

Trent snorted, but stuck his hand out nonetheless, which Aaron happily shook. “It’s nice to meet you.” He offered, but the other man just nodded at him.

“Hurt him, and I will ensure your body parts are scattered across the world so that they will never find all of you,” Trent promised, and Aaron nodded seriously. He understood the sentiment and was sure eventually Tony would get the same talk from Dave.

“You have my word of honor. I look forward to meeting you. I know that you mean a great deal to Tony. I look forward to getting to know you, and I hope that we might be friends. I am sure you’re much nicer than your reputation leads one to believe you would be.”

When a horrified expression crossed Trent’s face, Aaron frowned as he older man spun and stomped off screaming. “WILLIAM! HE CALLED ME NICE!”

Hotch lifted an eyebrow when Will was heard shouting back. “IT’S THE LEAST OF WHAT YOU DESERVE FOR DISRUPTING THEIR TIME TOGETHER YOU BRITISH BASTARD!”

Tony snickered, and taking Aaron’s hand tugged him out of the room. “Don’t worry. Emily and Mitchie have already been strictly advised they are not to ever repeat a single word that comes out of Uncle Robert, Uncle Will, or Cousin Trent’s mouths.”

Aaron nodded but wasn’t sure that would save any of them from Fornell’s ex-wife’s wrath. She was legendary within the FBI for the things she’d put Tobias through. “So, Trent went through with the meeting the team thing.”

Tony shrugged and flashed a grin back at Aaron. “He decided that he needed to give his personal approval for the lot of these monkeys. Think of it as a group shovel talk.”

“So, what is on the menu?” Aaron asked as they reached the kitchen, and Tony paused to observe what everyone was doing, and what was needed.

“Well, I am doing a lasagna, some baked spaghetti, and some garlic bread. Will is doing chicken pieces, and grilled fruit to put on ice cream for dessert. Raven is stealing part of the grill to do vegetables. Chin did a Hawaiian pork recipe and brought a couple salads that his family makes. Elijah brought a tray of au gratin cauliflower, and mac and cheese. Trent provided alcohol, and Robert isn’t allowed to touch anything because he tends to cut body parts off when he handles sharp objects.”

“ALMOST! Please be clear! I ALMOST cut off my finger!” Robert scowled, and Will just snickered unsympathetically. Seriously, Aaron was beginning to really like the man. He kind of reminded him of Hawkeye in the Avenger comic books that Aaron absolutely did NOT read, and did NOT keep hidden in his study.

Aaron turned his head to look at Tony, who was smiling indulgently at his crew. “Was I supposed to bring something?”

Tony huffed as the crew just snickered back at them. “No, but then neither were any of them. They each advised me this week at different times that they were bringing things, except for Trent. I ordered the bitch to bring booze.”

Trent scowled, and Tony laughed as a carrot came sailing through the air aimed for his head. “OK people! Since we are all here, I say it’s time to start. Boss has to go first.”

When Aaron lifted an eyebrow, Tony shrugged. “The kiddies decided sharing is caring. So, everyone on the team has to share something about themselves. Anything classified or not approved for group sharing is off limits. You, Robert, and Trent can go if you want, but aren’t expected to.”

Tony pulled out two stools and sat pulling Aaron into the other. Remembering that he was carrying to beer bottles, Aaron passed Tony one as he waited to hear the story. “This isn’t the first time I worked for the FBI.”

By the silence in the kitchen, Aaron could tell he wasn’t the only one who was stunned by this news. Except of course for Trent, who scowled and moved to lean against a wall muttering under his breath in what sounded like French.

Tony drained his beer bottle as everyone stared at him. Trent just went to the fridge and got them both new bottles. Coming over he exchanged bottles with his cousin, before moving back to his place holding up the wall.

“I didn’t leave Peoria because I got canned. I left Peoria because I got accepted into FLETC. After completing my training, I was sent to the Philadelphia field office. They were having trouble with a local mob family, and they needed fresh faces. I was hired on as just a field agent, but when I went through FLETC I scored highest in my class in the areas that suggest I would be good at undercover work. When I went back after my training time was up, my reporting supervisor advised me I was being placed in an undercover position immediately. He claimed that it was because the family was familiar with everyone else in the office.”

“That is complete and utter bullshit!” Robert swore scowling, surprising everyone, but Will.

Elijah quickly agreed. “Rookie agents aren’t supposed to be thrown into those kinds of situations unless a shitload of people signs off on it.”

Trent snorted and took a swig of his beer. “I can assure you that no one signed off on a bloody fucking thing.”

Tony ignored them all, and Chin made a hand motion to silence them. “Turns out my supervisor was one of the bad guys.”

This time when people started talking, Chin let out a sharp whistle. “The next person that interrupts before he’s done gets to listen to him lecture on all twelve of the Friday the 13th movies.”

Aaron shuddered on his stool, and Tony shot him an amused glare before continuing. “He’d been working for the Malcuso’s for a long time. He knew that the FBI was trying to take them down, but was trying to put it off without having to tell the Don. So, he figured that if he put a rookie in there things were sure to fail. I’d probably get killed, and the FBI would back off for a while. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t know I’d basically been playing various undercover roles most of my life. The closer I got, the more nervous and desperate he got. Unfortunately, he didn’t know about Trent.”

Tony smirked at his cousin and raised his beer bottle before taking a drink. “So, when the asshole tried to hire a hitman to have me killed, he unknowingly hired TK. Instead of me dying, he got tied up until my assignment was over.”

When Tony stopped talking, and Trent rolled his eyes. “Of course he stops there. What he isn’t saying is that he managed to singlehandedly bring down the entire top echelon.”

Tony just shrugged and blushed. “I just did my job. Anyway, after the job was over, I wasn’t feeling too happy with the FBI. So, I quit. The Philadelphia PD was so happy to have the mob out of the city that we came to an agreement. They pretended I’d been on their payroll, and the commissioner helped me get my next job with the Baltimore PD. Eventually, Tobias and NCIS came sniffing around, and I ended up going with NCIS.”

Raven raised her hand, and Tony lifted an eyebrow at her, which she huffed at. “I am not listening to you talk about those stupid movies for like four hours. Is that where rule #22 came from?”

Trent scoffed as he moved to steal some fruit from the pile Will was cutting. “You would think, wouldn’t you?”

Tony stuck out his tongue, before answering Raven. “No, unfortunately sometimes I learn slowly. Rule #22 came about after my old NCIS director Jenny Shepard sent me undercover with a mark’s daughter without backup. I ended up falling in love. She ended up hating my guts, and eventually, the FBI accused me of his murder. Good times. Your reward for asking a question, Birdling, is that you get to go next.”

Raven scowled but shrugged knowing what she was gonna talk about. “I fucking loved being a black hat. I loved the rush. I loved the notoriety I got from other black hats. I loved knowing I had the power to affect hundreds or thousands of people depending on my mood.

“I hated people. It felt like nothing good had ever happened to me. No one had ever believed in me. So, they all needed to pay. I’d been horribly bullied in school, and never really had a friend. In my opinion, the world owed me for everything I’d never had. When I hooked up with Jackson, it never occurred to me that what he was teaching me, and the things we were doing, were wrong.”

Raven sighed and hung her head until Elijah walked over and out an arm around her shoulder. “Then I got busted and started working with Avery and Elijah. I can’t say as I trust Avery anymore, and I am so thankful to be here with you all knowing you’re willing to trust me and teach me. I have to be thankful though for the things she did teach me, even if she turned into a controlling bitch in the end.”

Elijah snorted and kissed her temple before moving back to his spot at the counter.

Robert clapped his hands together. “Yay! This is exciting! Who gets to spill their guts next?”

Will just rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Seriously, I married you why?”

Robert scoffed. “Because I am an incredible lay! Duh!”

Tony clapped to draw everyone’s attention. “No more confessions right now. Getting to know you question #1. Everyone has to answer, including Robert, Trent, and Aaron. Favorite Historical movie and why.”

The group groaned as a whole, and Tony smiles happily. It was a good day when he could make everyone miserable at once.

The group moved out back to the deck not long after that to soak up some sunshine and watch Will grill. While they were still all together, the mini-groups had shuffled from the seating arrangement in the kitchen. Tony noticed at work there hadn’t been any mini cliques develop yet. He hoped that it stayed like that.

Elijah was sitting with Raven. Most likely to reassure her after her kitchen confession that no one thought less of her after hearing her tale. Interestingly enough, though, Trent was also hovering close to them. Tony could hear his cousin’s distinctive accent, but the man was speaking quietly enough that he couldn’t make out the actual words. He wasn’t really surprised though to see it.

Trent knew how important his new probie was to Tony’s psyche. Most likely he was sharing one of his own less than stellar moments to try and make her more comfortable. TK was kind of awesome like that.

The girls had come out and were hovering near the grill asking Will questions. Tony suspected that the two of them were developing crushes on the man. Chin was leaning against a nearby railing. From the amused expression on his face, Tony guessed that he was right about the crushes.

He himself had settled in-between the two groups with Aaron and Robert. Aaron was sitting close enough that Tony could and was holding his hand. Robert was being charming and witty. Aaron had his Unit Chief expression on his face. Probably to see how far Robert would go to win him over.

Will kept throwing looks of exasperated affection over his shoulder. So, Tony wasn’t too concerned about hurt feelings when Robert figured out what was going on. The painter made Aaron crack soon after that, and the lot of them got lost for a moment in the laughter.

“I see how it is. Try to bond with your husband’s new boss’ new boyfriend, and you end up the butt of the joke.”

Tony nearly rolled his eyes at Robert’s dramatics. He did groan at Aaron’s faux contrition, though, which led to an unwise offer in Tony’s opinion.

“My deepest apologies, Robert. I’ll tell you anything you’d like. Security Clearance withstanding, of course.”

“You’re gonna regret that,” Will called from over by the grill. Chin and Trent must have agreed because, like sharks to blood in the water, they immediately moved their way.

“Tell us why we should believe that you are good enough for Tony.”

Tony’s jaw dropped in disbelief at the question, and silence settled over the group. He was considering killing Robert. Trent could be heard muttering, “Steel balls that one. Good job, mate. Couldn’t have done better myself.”

Just as Tony was about to tell Aaron he didn’t have to answer and drag Robert off to a dark corner of the property to disembowel him, a quiet ‘you shouldn’t’ was heard.

“I work too much, and I am completely devoted to my team. Sometimes over everything else in my life. It’s one of the things that broke up my marriage. Sometimes I feel like I’ve been in Unit Chief Hotchner’s skin so long that I’ve forgotten how to laugh, and the majority of the people I work with would tell you I don’t even know how.

“My father was an abusive drunk. Sometimes I worry that I like a nice expensive glass of scotch too much, and my temper burns too hot on occasion. My greatest fear will always be turning into that man, and some days I’m not sure it’s possible to prevent it. I’ve spent most of my adult life putting away scumbags. So, I’m too often slow to trust new things and good people, because I’m always waiting for the evil side to drop.

“I believe in the justice system, and don’t like people who believe they are above it. Which is why I won’t get much higher than I am at the FBI. I honestly have no ambition to climb the ranks, because DC is filled with criminals worse than the ones I’ve put behind bars.”

Aaron lowered his gaze from where he’d been looking Robert in the eye, to the wooden planks of the deck. “So, I can’t answer your question, Robert. I probably wouldn’t think that I was good enough for him if I were you. Tony is an amazing man and deserves so much better than me. I can only hope that I can hold onto him long enough to build good memories to get me through after he realizes that he deserves better.”

There were many things that Tony wanted to do in that moment, but most of them were not things that he wanted to share with a crowd. Aaron was practically bleeding himself dry after spilling his guts out over a question that was most likely asked in jest.

Robert could be an ass, but there was no way he expected or even wanted something like that to happen. At that moment, though, he couldn’t look up to check on him, because he was too concerned that Aaron appeared ready to bolt any second.

Not stopping to question his actions, but instead trusted himself to know what was right in that moment for the first time in a long while. Tony lifted the hand he’d been holding, and kissed Aaron’s knuckles drawing the older man’s attention.

“In case you haven’t noticed, I am the Team Leader, and soon to be Unit Chief, of a new department within the FBI. I am building less of a team, and more of a family to hopefully take place of all the ones I have lost in my life. I can assure you I will be devoting long hours to making this department and these people a success.

“I can also assure you that I will be giving as much time to late night calls from them for whatever life crisis as you do yours. Whether that crisis is someone has died, or ‘oh god Tony my computer crashed and I lost a whole chapter and my deadline is tomorrow’. Now, I mean no disrespect to your former wife, but if she didn’t understand that your devotion to those people on your team is one of the things that makes you the breathtaking man you are, then it wasn’t much of a marriage, to begin with.”

When Aaron started to speak, Tony put a finger of his free hand to the man’s lips. “I don’t need you to be a clown. I have that role down pat. If you forget how to laugh, it’s ok. One thing I am a master at is reminding people there is humor in even the darkest moments. Even if it means making a complete and total ass out of myself.

“You aren’t the only one who grew up with a violent alcoholic father. Now, I may not be the profiler here, but I think I can say with complete certainty that you are not now or ever will be either your father or mine. Appreciation for expensive scotch just means you have taste. My former boss had a taste for that nasty rotgut bourbon. Trust me when I say I like your vice much better. As for your temper, well people who are always happy and calm are fucking creepy as hell. Hell, even the master of Zen Chin over there has a release valve that blows on occasion.”

Tony heard the sound of quiet laughs around him, but it was Aaron’s faint twitch of his lips that told him that he was making progress. “Trust issues are a part of the job. If you can find me, someone who has been doing this as long as you and I have that doesn’t have one, I will show you someone who really sucks at their job. As for your sense of justice, hell Aaron, who do you think was Gibbs’ conscience all these years? We wouldn’t be here if I thought you were the type to be loose and fancy-free with the rules. I also could give two shits if you advance. I’m not with you because I wanna be a house husband to a powerful man. I want you to like what you do. If you think I wanna climb the FBI hierarchy, you’ve lost your mind.

“Frankly, Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner, it sounds to me like you’re the man of my dreams. I am beginning to think that the best thing that ever happened to me was finding out my ex-boss, ex-lover was screwing my sometimes shrink behind my back while he demanded my loyalty. Because, no matter how hard he tries, Leroy Jethro Gibbs will never be half the man you are.”

When Aaron blushed shyly and simply nodded, Tony proclaimed victory if only inside his own head. Hearing Robert yelp, Tony turned his attention to see Raven standing next to the man glaring at him as he rubbed the back of his head.

“OH, MY GOD! I think you two just made my ovaries EXPLODE!” She squealed, and before he knew it, Tony found himself with an armful of exuberant hacker. The sound of Aaron’s laughter though made it all worth it. When the others moved in to show their support, Tony took a moment to find Robert.

He wasn’t surprised to see a guilty expression on the painter’s face, or that Will was speaking quietly into his ear. Most likely, he was soothing the ruffled feathers of his husband. Somehow, Tony had a feeling Aaron was going to soon find himself the owner of a Robert Brandt original. If Aaron didn’t say something to the man on his own, Tony made a mental note to make sure there were no lingering hurt feelings between the men. Though he found himself a little nervous to find out where the next confession was going to lead them.

After a few moments, everyone seemed to mutually agree the moment had passed. Tony saw Elijah look agree round then heard his SFA clear his throat. It didn’t matter to him that he wasn’t working at NCIS or that the FBI had different command structure titles. Elijah was his SFA, and when they each moved up a spot whomever Elijah chose would be his SFA. The spot had a place of affection in his heart that he wasn’t willing to lose.

“Since the girls have tired of flirting with Will for the moment, I thought that I would share my bit. I umm… things weren’t good for me at the end of my stay in Cyber Crimes. I can't… I don’t have the words to explain how much this second chance that Tony is giving me means to me. I want, to be honest with you all about what happened. Partly because I don’t trust some people from there to not try and start trouble for me here. There were some bad feelings with some of the old crew when I decided to switch teams.

“The bigger reason is because I really believe in what Tony is building here. I like that this isn’t just a team, and I think that in order to be a part of that… to hopefully be the leader once Tony is promoted to Unit Chief, then I have to follow his example.”

Tony watched his SFA feeling the pride grow in his chest. Elijah was going to be one hell of a Team leader someday. He had no doubt that he’d be ready to move up when Tony did.

“I was disciplined for Use of Excessive Force when I was with Cyber for roughing up a suspect, who was resisting arrest. I’d gone in by myself against Avery’s orders. So, there was no one to back up my claims. At the time, I had several personal things going on that added to my normal stress level that comes with the job.

“My ex-wife and I were trying to work things out. I’d found out that my father, whom I was extremely close to, not only had cancer, but he was refusing treatment. I went out one night to take like half an hour to myself and stopped at this bar between dad’s and my house. I ended up talking to the bartender who was female, and afterward, she started stalking me. When I confronted her about what she was doing, it just got worse. She became friends with my ex joining her yoga class, and showed up in my dad’s hospital room after identifying herself as my wife.”

Elijah paused, and Tony was pretty sure that everyone was being affected by the emotion of the story. He saw Will grip Elijah’s arm and did Raven take one of his hands. The pride that he’d been feeling for these people only increased.

“I am a former Marine. I know that it isn’t an excuse, but admitting that you can’t handle things isn’t something that is encouraged. Weakness is drilled out of you. Emotion is frowned upon, or at least that was what I was trained to believe. I kept Avery up to date on things, but only seemed to get ‘take some time off’ or ‘keep yourself together’ as my options. I’m not trying to throw stones. I just…”

When Elijah looked up at him, Tony just calmly looked back giving the man an encouraging smile. Everyone has rough patches. In his opinion, good leader sees those patches and makes sure that they don’t become career threatening.

“In contrast to that before I even had the job here, Tony was offering me help, giving me the name of someone that I could talk to and trust, and checking in just to make sure I was ok. When Devon announced to me for a second time that she was going to take my daughter from me, he helped me find a real lawyer. I found out yesterday that I’m getting full custody of Michelle. This team and my daughter are all I have left. I swear on all of you that I won’t cross that line, again.”

“And, we promise to do more than basically tell you to shut up or go home the next time that you’re struggling,” Will vowed with the others voicing their agreements.

“Good job, Cuz,” Tony heard in his ear. Turning his head he saw that Trent had made his way over to the empty chair next to him.

“This is one helluva team you’ve built. Color me impressed.”

Sitting back, Tony smiled as he took a sip of his beer. He was beginning to believe that he really could trust these people.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week: Tony and Tobias have a heart to heart and the team gets its first case! There is another new section (I think. I've kinda lost track of what is new and what was included in the original version. lol)
> 
> As always, thank you for reading! I hope you are still enjoying it. You people are awesome.


	15. Guilt Trips, The First Case, & An Unexpected Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A friendship between two longtime friends is near an end, and Tony feels guilty. It's up to Toby to make sure he knows it's bullshit. Then the team gets their first official case, and one of them is sent undercover finding himself or herself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halfway through, and we're moving into the case portion of the story.
> 
> Hope that you enjoy!

_Banner by Rivermoon1970_

 

##  **Chapter Fifteen:** _Guilt Trips, The First Case, & An Unexpected Meeting_

 

Tony was at home one night washing dishes after dinner. Tobias had stopped on the way home to get Chinese. Neither man had been in the mood to cook, even though neither had had a particularly hard work day. Tony was getting stir crazy without an actual case to work on though, and Tobias had gotten into another shouting match with Gibbs that he was refusing to talk about.

Tony was trying not to bring it up because he knew that Tobs would just get mad. He couldn’t help but feel like it was his fault. “Knock it the hell off, kid.”

Tony frowned and turned around to see Tobias glaring at him. “Seriously, does mind reading come with the gray hair?”

“It doesn’t take a genius or a psychic to read your mind, Tony. You’re practically oozing guilt. We are going to address this, and then we’re not talking about it again. So get us some beers, and come out to the living room. We can finish the dishes tomorrow.”

Tony nodded, and after grabbing the cold beer bottles as requested, followed the older man into the living room. Handing Tobias his bottle, Tony settled in the rocking chair that he’d picked out as his. It was oversized, leather, and extremely comfortable.

“It’s not just you,” Tony admitted quietly and shamefully. “I know I am not supposed to give a shit about him anymore. I know I am supposed to hate him. For the most part, I do, but… I mean.”

Tobias sighs. “You are a good man, Tony. You worked and cared about him for a long time. You can’t just turn that off. You aren’t one of those vindictive people that would wish ill will on someone that hurt you. Not for long anyway, not for real. You may say angry words, but in your heart, you won’t mean them. It's ok, kid, if you’re worried about him.”

“I feel like I destroyed your friendship,” Tony admitted so quietly it was an almost whisper.

“You didn’t ruin anything! He did this. He made bad decisions. Then he made it worse by hurting someone I consider a friend and family. Then, when he was confronted he refused to take responsibility for his actions. He lost another employee because they lost faith in him, and he still can’t admit that he’s in the wrong. He’s on agency mandated psych leave because they’re concerned about his mental state, and all he can do is bitch about how it’s everyone else’s fault.”

Tobias shook his head and leaned forward in his chair. “Now I don’t know about you, kiddo, but that isn’t the kind of person that I want in my life. Do I feel sorry for him? Yeah. I think that he wasn’t always like this. I think that somewhere along the way, most likely when his family died, something broke in his head. The thing is that he refuses all offers of help or even the suggestion that he needs it.

“It isn’t as if either of us have been left out in the cold. He still has his enablers Sciuto and Ziva. I have friends and my family. I know it’s hard, but you have to absolve yourself of thus guilt over what they did to you. You are building a new life for yourself. The bullshit from the old life has no place in it except as a lesson for the future.”

Tony took a deep breath and nodded. “You… you know that I don’t have a relationship with my father, Tobs. I’ve always wondered what I was missing. What would it feel like to have that type of connection to someone? What was it like to have a dad? Then my life completely fell apart. The man I thought I loved was justly using me for a cheap thrill. The woman I thought if as a sister was nothing more than a self-absorbed bitch with a daddy complex.

“When the trust tree burned down, I found out that there were only two roots left. One was TK, who has been there since my mother died. The second was you. I built this team that feels more like a family already than my old one maybe ever did. I have a man in my life that makes me realize the old feelings were more the idea of love than love itself.”

When Tobias lifted an eyebrow at him, Tony sighed. “Trust me, I can’t believe I am contemplating the L word either. I mean I’m not there, but… yeah. Where I was going with this though was… I think… I think that maybe I know what it’s like to have a dad now. I mean I know I shouldn’t just assume or throw all of that on you, but…”

“Tony, figlio stop. I am honored to have you as a son. I couldn’t love you more if I’d created you myself. Your father is as big of a moron as Gibbs. I’d be proud to be your dad.”

Tony nodded shyly and pretended that he wasn’t wiping tears off his face. “I umm… I suppose that this is a good time to tell you I added you as my emergency contacts, and my lawyer has power of attorney papers for you in case shit happens. I suppose at some point in the future if things work out with Aaron, I will add him, too, but…”

Tobias got up and moved over to Tony putting a hand on his shoulder. “Figlio, I am honored. I promise you that I will not make you regret this decision. Em’s gonna be thrilled that she has a big brother.”

Tony blushed and shyly put his face in the other man’s chest letting the warm happiness fill him as his dad put his arms around him. It was a feeling he never imagined that he’d experience.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tony was sitting at his desk when Tobias came in and shut the door before sitting down. Tony arched his eyebrow as he put aside his meaningless busy work.

“Please tell me you have something for us to do. I can only assign so much busy work when we don’t even have cold cases to go through.”

Tobias smirked and held out a folder. Tony arched his eyebrow further but took it. Immediately he began reviewing the information but didn’t get very far before he stopped, and looked up. “NCIS? I’m not working my first fucking case with Gibbs, Tobias. There was an agreement!”

Tobias holds up his hands. “And you won’t. Vance made it clear to me that Gibbs will not be interfering, and has in fact been ordered to stay away from both you and McGee from here on out. Vance said that you should call him. In fact, he provided his direct number so that not even Cynthia would know you called. He thinks that this case would be perfect for your team, and the local FBI branch is more than happy to turn it over to you guys. Show everyone what you’re made of, kid. I have no doubt that you will make me proud.”

Tony nodded and stood to shake Tobias’ hand before his boss left the office. Staring at the file, he had a moment of panic. Before he could think twice about it, he picked up the phone and dialed a number that was still new to him.

“Hotchner.” Came the response when the line was answered, and Tony leaped right into his panic.

“What in the bloody hell am I doing?”

“Tony?” Aaron questioned, leaning back in his chair in his office. On the other side of the desk, Rossi frowned at him making no move to give him any privacy.

“Take a deep breath, and try again. What are you talking about?”

“We got our first case. What the hell am I doing? The last time I led anyone, they revolted and became horrible employees! Now I think I can keep someone safe when they’re undercover? Seriously, Aaron, what the hell am I doing?”

“Your job,” Aaron replied simply, and turned away from Dave to try and have some semblance of privacy.

“This isn’t NCIS, Tony, and whatever happened there couldn’t have been all on you. This isn’t some whim or gift you were given. The FBI doesn’t work that way. While, yes, there can be some nepotism, no one gets put in charge of a brand new division by the Director himself, and his most trusted AD on a lark. You’re doing this because someone’s life is at stake in some way, and right this second, you are the best person to save them.”

When he heard Tony take a shaky breath, Aaron continued. “Tell me about your case.”

When he heard papers rustling, Hotch leaned back in his chair, happy when he heard Dave finally get up and leave.

“Two murders South Carolina and Georgia. Petty Officer Third Class Steven Laughlin from Charleston, SC was the most recent victim. The other has no Navy ties that they were able to find. Name is Scott Levy in Atlanta, GA who was the first victim. He was the owner of Jersey Bowery, which is a bar. No connection has been found to each other.”

“Why do they think the murders are related then?” Aaron asked frowning, getting caught up in the case.

“How did they connect the two cases if they are from different states? That doesn’t happen often.”

“Coincidence actually led to the connection. Brother in laws were discussing cases. One works for the field office in Atlanta, and the other for NCIS in the Charleston area. The FBI agent in Atlanta was apparently frustrated by a lack of leads, and the NCIS agent was a little stumped by an elaborate temporary tattoo on his victim’s back. Once they compared notes they realized that the deaths must be connected. Laughlin’s CO confirmed he didn’t have or want a tattoo. Levy’s friends and co-workers advised that wasn’t planning on tattooing his back, and if he did it would be a raven, not a hawk. Apparently, the victim was a fan of the bird. Also, the final act for both victims is a slash to the throat after they were already dead.”

“So, that isn’t what kills them?” Hotch asked, and Tony didn’t reply immediately looking at both ME reports.

“No,” Tony finally responded. “Both died of other causes, and then had their throats cut.”

Hotch nodded, an early profile forming in his head. “Why do they want your team? That requires an undercover aspect right?”

“The base commander is worried that this is connected in some way to Laughlin’s previous issues. Apparently, he was accused of something recently, but let off. They aren’t being very forthcoming at the moment. The only way they’d agree to give us access to the files we need and cooperate with an investigation is if we put someone down there undercover for protection. Why a Navy base needs the FBI’s protection is beyond me. The man didn’t sound like any base commander I ever dealt with at NCIS that’s for sure.”

Aaron tried not to chuckle at Tony’s obvious disgust that the man wasn’t living up to standards previously set in his mind.

“Feel better?” Hotch asked softly and heard Tony sigh.

“Yes, you sneaky bastard.”

Hotch didn’t even bother to apologize, as he wasn’t the least bit sorry.

“Let me know if I can do anything else. I would wish you good luck, but you won’t need it. You are a born leader, Tony. Don’t let what happened at NCIS detract you from that.”

“Thanks, I… you mean a lot to me. It’s conversations like this that are convincing me I’ve made the right decision. Both in choosing the FBI, and you.” When Tony hung up without saying goodbye, Aaron just smiled and hung up his receiver. Some days it was good to be him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Will was walking around the town near base trying to familiarize himself with his new temporary environment. Maps and GPS were all good, but if there was an emergency, he knew that he wouldn’t have the time to stop and search Google Maps to see where he was going.

He’d arrived the day before, and had immediately investigated the base itself. Now, as he walked around town, various escape routes were forming in his head. Spotting a small café across the street, he checked for traffic before jogging across the road.

The business was in a long building which had been broken up into smaller stores. To the left of the café was Al’s Barbershop. He nodded politely to the group of elderly men out front playing checkers, while the others watched. He knew though that more gossiping about town events would be happening than checked playing.

To the right of the café was McCormick’s Gifts and Drugs. Deciding that he needed a magazine was something to take to the café with him that would help explain why he was lurking there for an hour or more. As he passed the café entrance, the door opened, and someone stepped out into his path. Stopping short he heard a muttered, “excuse me.”

Pausing to declare no harm no foul, will had to fight to keep the pleasant expression on his face when he spotted an unexpectedly familiar face.

“Agent Brandt, what an unexpected surprise. Whatever is the CIA doing in a little town like this?”

Fighting the urge to check the street knowing that he was too close to the barber shop crew and surely at least a few of them were listening in.

He had no idea what the man was doing there. There certainly had been nothing about him in the briefing. Last time that he checked, the man wasn’t even employed by one of the Federal agencies any longer. So, what the hell was he doing lurking around the town where a serial killer had just murdered someone? Questions began to form in his mind, and none of them were making him feel good about the situation. Deciding to play dumb and retreat, Will flashed a confused smile.

“I’m sorry, sir. You must have me confused with someone else.”

Them before the man could speak again, he hurried off. The case suddenly became more complicated. He needed to make a few calls to check into the man on his own before he let Tony know what was going on. It was a decision that he would come to regret later.

Behind him, the man watched the escape narrow-eyed. He wasn’t buying the mistaken identity for a second. Taking out his phone, he decided to call his unwitting mole. He needed to know how close they were to finding him. He had one more target and needed to know if he had the time to complete his mission. He’d hate it if he had to leave immediately, but he couldn’t risk getting caught. He could always swing back around and get rid of the other one later.

Justice needed to be served, and he was not opposed to taking out the CIA agent if needed. Everyone knew that they were little more than government sanctioned criminals anyway. The world would not suffer from losing one of the government’s monsters.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun Dun Duuuuunnnnn.... *g*
> 
> I have three Big Bang fics coming up in May! Two for Criminal Minds Big Bang, and one for NCIS Reverse Big Bang.
> 
> On 5-16 I post London's Calling for NCIS RBB, which is a mostly Tony-Centric story of him leaving Team Gibbs and transferring to London with a li'l romance thrown in. It will pair him with the 00Q Verse version of Alec Trevelyan from James Bond where he was never a bad guy. Then the very next day 5-17 I post my first CMBB story Against the Grain, which will have an Aaron Hotchner/Dean Winchester pairing. The the second of the two CMBB fics posts on 5-24 with a Tony DiNozzo/Aaron Hotchner established pairing fic featuring Medium!Tony and includes Sam and Dean Winchester.
> 
> I have a handful of shorter stories I have been pecking at that will hopefully get finished eventually. I am also looking to finish my Vegas Rough Trade fic so I can post it as well as polish my fic from last November.


	16. Then it all Falls Apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will misses his check-ins and the team becomes worried. As they investigate, the Birdling uncovers something unexpected. This leads to a confrontation that Tony never imagined he'd have to have, and sides are drawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am adding some OOC character warnings over the next few chapters. Also, please remember this story is fully written, and the storyline won't be changing. Please keep in mind that there is a reason for everything that I do, and things (Especially major issues and character trait changes) will be explained by the end of the story. Thanks!

Banner by Rivermoon1970

 

##  **Chapter Sixteen:** _Then it all Falls Apart_

 

Raven was at her desk before the boss even came in. Will had been undercover for a week and hadn’t checked in for two days. Tony was giving him one more day before going to investigate. Will requested a 3-day contact cushion if communication was lost.

Raven didn’t quite understand it or like that they had to wait so long, but she was willing to trust Will and the boss. She talked to Chin though and felt better afterward. He reminded her that he was the most veteran undercover agent on the team other than the boss, and therefore was being given more latitude than some others. He also reminded that Will was used to his backup being days and continents away from his actual location, which was another reason Tony had agreed to the unusually long contact cushion.

 

Chin was truly the mentor that she always wanted. At Cyber Division she’d never had a true mentor. Sure she had Avery sort of, but Avery didn’t know anything about hacking, and when it came to life mentoring… well her new boys and Elijah already had her beat.

“You’re ruining all my brown nosing with the new boss,” she heard and looking up found Chin watching her from his desk.

“I thought I’d be the first one in, but it seems you beat me to it. What are you doing?”

“Looking at the code I wrote for Will’s undercover file.” When Chin rolled his eyes at her, she rushed on to explain. The day before he’d teased that she was becoming obsessed with the new code she’s written for the team.

“Something is off! Look, I know I’m a little paranoid about it but… If I was Tony I’d call it my gut, and everyone would not and accept it. But, I’m not Tony. I’m just Raven, but there’s just… it’s bugging me.”

Chin arched an eyebrow at her and crossed his arms over his chest. “What makes you think that if you tell us it’s your gut we won’t believe you too? Did you try?”

Raven opened her mouth, then shut it and shook her head. “I don’t have any proof, but I know something is off.”

Chin nodded and moved to sit in his own chair. “I’ll let the boss know when he comes in that you have some concerns. Get to work finding out what’s bugging you. Next time, Birdling, trust us. You might be surprised the support that you will get.”

Three hours later, after some coffee that included a pep talk and suggestions from Krummy, Raven found what had been bugging her. When she did, she knew that Will was in big trouble.

“CHIN!”

When her mentor’s head whipped up to look at her, Raven waved him over urgently. “I was right, we have problems.”

Quickly Chin came over. Elijah, having heard her shout, came over from his desk to listen in as well. “I got frustrated when I couldn’t figure out what I was looking for. So, I was talking to Krummy, and he suggested to not just check the code I changed, but the stuff I didn’t change, as well.”

Taking a deep breath, Raven tried to school her thoughts so that she could coherently explain what she’d found. “Someone has definitely been in Will’s undercover file. See, when I set up my code, it was done to automatically alert us to any access to the files through not only unauthorized means but authorized FBI access codes as well. I mean, I figured the guy you need to watch out for isn’t always outside of this building.”

“What did you find, Raven?” Elijah asked. He was already sending Tony a text that he needed to get out of his meeting because they had an emergency.

“The Black Queen accessed Will Stark’s file two days ago just before lunch, and a Penelope Garcia then accessed Will’s official company file using her FBI codes 5 minutes later. My security measures were bypassed by changing some of the code I hadn’t touched. I know who the Black Queen is. She was a legendary hacker who just disappeared one day.”

Elijah frowned, as Chin moved to his computer. “Penelope Garcia is…”

“The Technical Analyst for the Behavioral Analysis Unit. Why are we talking about her?”

Elijah turned and looked at his boss, who had come up behind them while they were talking. “Problems, Boss. This Garcia woman accessed Will’s file the day we lost contact. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Will missed his first check in that night. Why would the BAU be looking into our undercover operative?”

The team members watched Tony’s eyes harden, and waited nervously. They all knew who was over the BAU and had fragile hopes for the relationship that had started between the two bosses. They each silently plotted payback if Aaron Hotchner was just messing with Tony in some fucked up power play.

“We are about to find that out. Raven, do you have something that I can show Aa… UC Hotchner as proof of this?”

Quickly Raven nodded and made the correct documentation showing the intrusion. “Umm, if you take Elijah with you, he’s used to explaining hacking sh… uhh, stuff to people. I mean not that you can’t… I just…”

Tony held up a hand, as he remained silent. Quickly she copied her findings onto a flash drive and handed it to Elijah who patted her on the shoulder before running off after Tony.

“Chin, go inform Tobias what is going on, and let him know I want Garcia in a fucking interview room. Take Raven with you. I want those computers gone through if he agrees.”

Their boss was storming toward the elevator, and Elijah seemed to be making sure that it didn’t leave without him. It would suck if the boss’ new relationship when up in flames, because of some traitor hacker who had returned to her roots. As they ran off, Raven watched her mentor take a deep breath, and stood motioning for her to follow.

“Raven make a second copy of that. We’re gonna go get permission to make the BAU’s little tech princess very uncomfortable.” Chin advised.

Nodding she rushed to do what she was told. The Black Queen had been one of her idols as a hacker, but she didn’t do that anymore, and her friend’s life could be in jeopardy. She wasn’t going to be out-hacked or outsmarted, even if it was by a legend.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hotch was sitting behind his desk, trying to fend off Dave’s nosy questions about how things were going with Tony when the subject of their conversation stormed in. Seeing Elijah Mundo a step behind him, and the angry look in Tony’s eyes, it didn’t take a profiler to see there was a problem.

“Tony?” Aaron questioned, but Tony just held up a hand.

“Right now you are Unit Chief Hotchner, and I am Agent in Charge DiNozzo. This is about work, and not us. I am trying not to take someone’s head off, but I am really fucking pissed right now. I will warn you that if you were aware of this bullshit, I am not going to just look the other way because I think you’re incredibly hot.”

“I think you better step back, son, and remember who you are talking to,” Rossi advised standing between Tony and Aaron.

“You don’t get to just come in here, and act like you own the place. I’m certainly not going to let you use whatever is going on between you and Aaron to cause trouble for the BAU. We were here before you, kid, and we’ll be here long after you are gone.”

Rossi had been sitting in one of the chairs in front of Aaron’s desk and used his position to try and get the younger man to back down. Unfortunately, he didn’t take into consideration that Tony DiNozzo just doesn’t intimidate easily.

“I suggest, SSA Rossi, that you remember I’m not your goddamned son. My father was an alcoholic, abusive prick, and I don’t need another one. I know you old school BAU jackasses think you’re all that and a bag of chips, but I hate to tell you that I worked under the biggest asshole on the fucking planet for 10 years.

“You don’t intimidate me in the least. You have no fucking idea why I am pissed off, and I suggest you shove your platitudes somewhere deep and dark.”

Elijah’s phone beeped, and reading it, he quickly showed his boss the message, as Aaron Hotchner got his mentor under control.

“SSA Rossi, why don’t we find out why AIC DiNozzo is so upset before we start waving our dicks in the air and proclaiming ourselves the king of the mountain? As DiNozzo stated, right now he is the AIC of the Elite Undercover & Investigative Unit, and I am the Unit Chief of the BAU. That has nothing to do with Tony and Aaron.”

“Agent in Charge DiNozzo, why don’t we move to the conference room?” Aaron suggested trying to calm things down.

Behind Tony, Elijah Mundo nodded. “Does it have a USB port?” Elijah took the flash drive out of his pocket.

“You’re going to want to see what is on this.”

Hotch hesitated then sighed. “I can get Garcia…”

“NO!” Tony bit out, and Elijah stepped forward to use Tony’s body to shield the hand he was putting on his back.

“I don’t think that would be a good idea. I came from Cyber Unit. If you have a company tablet that has a USB port or if the table has USB port computer access, I can get us settled.” Elijah offered trying to smile reassuringly. When the UC nodded, he felt Tony’s body relaxed somewhat.

Elijah knew that his boss was terribly worried about Will’s disappearance. Not only was this their first case, it was Will’s first time undercover at Tony’s assignment. Then there was the fact that Will and his partner had quickly become an important part of his boss’ new inner circle. He couldn’t even imagine how Tony would react if this Garcia woman had caused Will to get hurt or worse yet killed.

Tony and Elijah followed Aaron and Rossi to the conference room that the BAU used, with Rossi being maneuvered in front by Unit Chief Hotchner. Elijah could feel eyes on them as they walked along the ramp. The door hadn’t been shut, and he was sure that more than one set of ears heard the angry exchange. When they reached the room, Elijah used his own system access codes on the UC’s tablet to set up their evidence.

Fortunately, the few minutes it took had given Tony time to calm down at least enough that he could speak again without clenching his teeth. So, as Elijah moved their evidence to the screen, Tony began to explain what was going on. He hadn’t had a chance to talk to Aaron since Will had gone missing. He’d been too busy trying to get ahold of Robert and using the contacts he had in the Charleston area to make sure his friend wasn’t in the hospital or morgue.

“Agent William Brandt was assigned to the case I told you about a week ago, Unit Chief Hotchner. He went undercover at one of the bases in the Charleston, South Carolina area upon request from the base commander. The CO was concerned because he’d had a problem about a year ago at this time, and didn’t want another shit storm.”

Wishing he had a cup of coffee or a bottle of water, Tony let his hands clench together on top of the table. “Three days ago he missed his first check in. Last night he missed his second. The undercover operative requested a three-day window before intervention before he left. With his extensive background, it was determined to be an acceptable risk. He advised that he would initiate his secondary backup protocol option, and I readily agreed. He was new to the team, the team was new in general, and really he pretty much has two options, both of which I am comfortable with.

“Our Junior Technical Analyst Raven Ramirez previously set up some extra security protocols on the backside of our files as a precaution. Something had been bugging her about them since Will missed his first check in, and she was in this morning early trying to figure out what it was.”

“This is the hacker that you hired, after Cyber Division canned her, correct?” Dave questioned, not bothering to hide his contempt for the woman.

“SSA ROSSI!” Aaron scolded angrily.

“You are not helping. If you can’t control yourself, leave the room and send in Reid.”

The sneer and angry smile Tony threw at the man was setting off warning bells in Hotch’s head. There was no way that Tony would storm into his office looking like he wanted to literally tear someone’s head off of their shoulders without just cause. Something was seriously wrong, and Hotch’s experience was telling him that he was not going to like what was coming.

“You are going to feel really stupid in about two minutes,” Tony promised, showing more than a little dark amusement. The bad feeling in Hotch’s gut was only getting worse.

When Dave opened his mouth to respond, Hotch cut him off. “I am not even kidding, Dave. One more word out of your mouth, and you will be sent from this room. So, keep a cork in it!”

Elijah took over the story, hoping to give his boss time to calm down again. “Raven found out that Will’s undercover legend and his personnel files had been accessed without authorization.”

Hitting a button on the tablet, Elijah moved the evidence to the screen.

“The lines you are seeing in red, are hacker’s code, which circumvented the security that Analyst Ramirez had put in place. As SSA Rossi so helpfully pointed out, Raven was, until a few years ago, one hell of a hacker. Every hacker’s code is special. They all have their little quirks, their own signature. Something like a bomber or an unsub’s calling card.

“Now, even hackers have idols. Hers was someone who went by the tag of the Black Queen. Analyst Ramirez identified the code in red as one that is commonly known to belong to The Black Queen.”

“This is obviously some made up bullshit!” Rossi shouted standing up angrily.

“For all we know your HACKER made up this stuff to get back at…”

“DAVE! ENOUGH!” Aaron shouted. On the other side of the table, he saw Elijah had wrapped a hand around Tony’s wrist. He assumed it was in an attempt at preventing his boss from smacking the crap out of the stubborn, pigheaded, profiler next to him. Storming to the door, Hotch stepped outside. “REID! I need you in here now.”

Walking back in, he glared at Dave. “Go to your office. If you want to act like a three-year-old instead of a veteran FBI agent, I will treat you as such. Do NOT come out of your office until I give you permission. If I find out that you have so much as THOUGHT about calling her and warning her of ANYTHING, I will suspend your stupid ass myself!”

Angrily, Rossi swept from the room, and Hotch stepped out to see Reid gathering some things at his desk. “Spencer, if you could get some bottles of water from the refrigerator in my office, I would appreciate it. Morgan! I did not request your presence. Stay away from Rossi’s office. That goes for everyone. He’s in time out until he remembers that he’s 63 and not 3.”

As he stepped back into the conference room, he saw Elijah had herded Tony into the far corner, listening in as Tony spoke on his phone. He tried not to listen in, but he heard Garcia’s name and felt his own hand's clench. He’d never once doubted bringing her onto the team. He hoped to God that he could still say that when this fiasco was over. He had a feeling that it was not getting better anytime soon though.

Eventually, Spencer came in with three bottles of water, and his own ever-present coffee cup. Tony and Elijah had finished their talk and were sitting back at the table. The second Spencer saw the Black Queen’s name on the screen he froze.

Fortunately, unlike Dave, Spencer knew how to be professional even in the face of personal turmoil, and quickly recovered. Moving to sit at his normal spot next to Hotch, Reid put the waters on the table and waved to the two EU&IU leaders.

“SIC Mundo, this is SSA Dr. Spencer Reid. I apologize for SSA Rossi’s outburst and unprofessional behavior. If you could repeat what you said previously for Reid, we can then continue.”

Elijah nodded and smiled, even though it was fairly strained, and caught Spencer up to what they’d revealed to Hotch. “What we didn’t get a chance to say earlier, was that within five minutes of the Black Queen’s hack, Agent William Brandt’s personnel file was accessed by Penelope Garcia using her FBI access codes.

“This was done at roughly 1 PM Eastern Standard Time. Will missed his first call in 7 hours later. He also missed his contact last night also at 8 PM. If he doesn’t call in tonight, emergency protocols will officially kick in, and he will be presumed missing. Whether it will be because he’s been hurt, kidnapped, or because he went dark we really won’t know.”

Hotch felt the muscle in his jaw twitch and forced himself to try and relax slightly. Beside him he could see Spencer looked dazed, but he had nothing but confidence in the younger man’s ability to pull things together.

“I need to know if you authorized this, UC Hotchner,” Tony’s advised. His voice much quieter and ragged than when Rossi was in there.

Hotch forced himself to not immediately respond. It wouldn’t do any of them good if he took out his frustration out on Tony. Their relationship aside, he was a new team leader who was understandably worried about his agent, and in all reality his own frustration was really aimed at the position Garcia had put them all in.

“No,” Aaron confirmed, and he didn’t think that it was his imagination that Tony seemed to relax and calm noticeably. He thought maybe that he should be offended that the other man had even slightly questioned his ethics in the matter, but he understood. After what Tony had gone through at NCIS, Hotch didn’t blame him for being cautious about anyone. Maybe in this instance, their personal relationship was helping smooth things over with their professional one. It was something he would have to think on later, and possibly discuss with Section Chief Cruz.

“While I knew about the case due to our conversation, and was admittedly curious, I would never use my people or my access to get information that I had no business knowing. If I wanted to know, I would have simply asked you. I would never authorize Garcia to hack files within the Bureau itself. That’s…” Hotch shook his head unable to continue.

“Can I ask what Agent Brandt was doing when he went missing? I mean, other than undercover work.” Reid asked in the soft voice he used when he was unsure or trying to calm a situation. In this instance, Hotch had a feeling it was a little of both.

Tony nodded and after drinking some water answered the question. “We got a request for assistance in a double murder. The first one was a Scott Levy who resided in Atlanta, Georgia. The second was a Steven Laughlin who was stationed at one of the Navy bases in the Charleston, SC area.”

When Reid’s face paled, the bad feeling in Hotch’s stomach got worse. “Reid?” He prompted, but the young genius didn’t answer immediately.

“Steven… Petty Officer Third Class Steven Laughlin, who last year was accused of having raped a girl prior to joining the Navy? Scott Levy, the owner of the Jersey Bowery, who was accused of stalking a former friend of his Michael Richards?” When Tony and Elijah looked at each other, Hotch knew the answer before it was given.

“How did you know that Dr. Reid?” Tony asked, obviously straining to keep himself in check, but the switch in people seemed to be helping him.

“I did consults on both of the cases,” Reid offered frowning and looked at Hotch worried. “I… I determined that they were both innocent. I don’t… Hotch?”

When Tony’s eyes finally met his, the confusion, worry, and desperation for information that would help his agent and friend were evident. When his phone beeped again, Tony glanced down at it, then visibly took a deep breath.

“Unit Chief Fornell and Agent Chin Ho Kelly have Technical Analyst Garcia in one of the interview rooms. Tobias wants me to let you know that if you would like to watch, we should go down now.”

Hotch wanted to scream. He wanted to protest that this must be some mistake. He wanted to act the 3-year-old Rossi had been. His stomach though still held that now huge ball of dread telling him that it was going to just keep on getting worse. Nodding he stood and left with the other three following him. It was time to get some answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are certainly heating up. Next week we'll find out what the hell Garcia was thinking. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! As always it is appreciated.


	17. The Black Queen has Fallen & Ricky Bobby Petit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garcia has some questions to answer, and when the truth about the killer comes out, it's worse than everyone thought. Then, the killer strikes again, before moving onto another location.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am considering Garcia OOC in this. So, I have now added an OOC tag for her. I have not yet added the killer to the character listing so the surprise isn't ruined for those that haven't read yet.

Banner by Rivermoon1970

 

 

##  **Chapter Seventeen:** _The Black Queen has Fallen & Ricky Bobby Petit_

Penelope Garcia was sitting in an interview room wide-eyed, and scared. She had come a long way from that hacker who ruined people’s lives just because she could. She followed the rules now. She protected her team. She was a good person.

She had no idea why she was in there being watched by two angry looking people she’d never seen before. When Unit Chief Fornell came walking in with a tablet and a file, Garcia watched as the girl left, and the UC sat down at the table. He plugged in a flash drive then brought up an image and she immediately knew that she was in trouble.

“Do you know what you’re looking at, Ms. Garcia?” Fornell asked clearly pissed off. Penelope nervously nodded unable to take her eyes off of the red lines of coding.

“They… they’re the lines of code I used to access some files that had extra security measures so that I wouldn’t be detected.”

“Were you given permission by Unit Chief Hotchner to bypass these security measures?”

Quickly Garcia shook her head. Hot pink pigtails flying back and forth. “No, sir. I did it at the request of…” Garcia stopped and sealed her lips together.

“At the request of whom, Technical Analyst Garcia?” Fornell pressed, but again she shook her head. Fornell narrowed his eyes leaning back in his chair.

“Do you know what you’ve done?” Chin asked, and Tobias looked over his shoulder at the man. When Garcia just pressed her lips together tighter and hesitantly shook her head, Chin scowled.

Fornell had known the man for several years. Normally you only saw the man as quiet and calm or happy and amused. This burning anger was rare but intimidated even him when it came out.

“Do you have any clue what you’ve done? As you sit there fretting and simpering, a man may be DEAD. My friend, my teammate may be dead because of you! So I suggest that you stop playing your foolish games and start talking!” By the time he got done, Chin was yelling as he advanced toward the table. His body showing nothing but anger and violent intent. Not knowing that despite the show of anger, the man would never cross that line, Garcia was in tears, and the room was being filled with people.

When the smoke cleared, Hotch was sitting at the table, and another man was holding up the wall glaring at her worse than the last one.

“Garcia!” Hotch snapped, and Penelope’s gaze immediately flew to his face.

Garcia could see the anger in Hotch’s eyes. She knew that she was in big trouble. If he understood though, if he knew who had asked, surely he would understand!

“Hotch! There is no way that…. I’m sorry the man is missing, but I didn’t give the information to anyone dangerous! I would never do that. You know that. It’s totally OK!”

“Who did you give the information to, Garcia? Who asked you to hack into the files?”

“It’s OK, Hotch. It’s no one dangerous. It’s only…”

“Who Garcia? Who asked for those details?”

“It was only Gideon!”

The room fell into dead silence as Hotch sat back hard as the implications began to swirl in his head. Behind him, Tony spoke unable to keep silent any longer.

“Jason Gideon? The profiler who abandoned his team? The one that had the nervous breakdown? THAT Jason Gideon? You gave that man details about my operative?”

Garcia huffed as she started to cry, again. “You don’t understand! I don’t even know who you are! If you knew Gideon you wouldn’t be mad! He’d never…”

“Explain it to me, Garcia,” Hotch interrupted waving Tony back to his spot.

“Forget Agent in Charge DiNozzo. Explain to me why. I know Gideon.”

“He was just checking up on one of Spencer’s people!”

The bad feeling in Hotch’s stomach was turning into acid with each word she spoke. Aaron had known the quirky woman was naïve, but this… “What do you mean checking up on one of Spencer’s people? Does this person have a name?”

Garcia thought a moment then nodded excitedly that her boss was finally understanding. “He knows that Spencer doesn’t have time to watch over the people he saves. So, Gideon is doing it! He still cares about Spencer, so much. He was checking on… Ummm… OH! Steven Laughlin! He saw someone weird hanging around. He thought he recognized him and was afraid that he was an unsub.

“When I ran the picture he sent me it came back with two files. I had to check them both out! I always check out everything before I give the team information on a case. Gideon was embarrassed how he left Spencer and doesn’t want him to know he’s helping him. So, I made sure that I bypassed any extra security measures on the backend of the files. I didn’t want his secret to be exposed. See? It’s totally OK!”

She looked so proud of herself. Aaron hid one hand under the table so that he could clench it. He’d trusted her for years, and she’d done something like this. “How did Jason know that Steven was one of Spencer’s… people, Garcia?”

“OH! He just checked Spencer’s files! He asked me to set up a backdoor into everyone’s files when he left so that he could keep an eye on their cases. I think he only checks Spencer’s though. He says that Spencer doesn’t think of these things.”

Just when Hotch didn’t think it could get worse… she dug the hole deeper. “You…” Aaron felt a hand on his shoulder and leaned back slightly against Tony to draw strength. Inside he was devastated. He couldn’t show it though until he got all the information. He wasn’t even sure anymore that he could think enough to know if he had all of the information.

“When did Jason tell you that he was checking on this Steven, Garcia?”

“Just a few days ago!” Garcia frowned looking at Hotch realizing that he didn’t look right.

“What’s wrong, Hotch? You look funny. Don’t you understand? Gideon is only trying to keep them safe. He’s only doing it because of what that monster did to his own people! He doesn’t want Spencer to go through the same thing!”

Hotch quickly got up and left, rushing to the bathroom. He just hoped that he got there before he puked.

Back in the interrogation room, Garcia frowned as this time AD John Evans came in. This time the man who had been standing behind Hotch sat at the table. He looked equally devastated, and angry.

“Steven Laughlin was murdered two weeks ago, Technical Analyst Garcia. Scott Levy, another of Spencer’s people as you called them was also murdered. That one a month to six weeks ago. My operative whose file you hacked was sent to try and find the killer.

“He was sent a week ago. He stopped responding three days ago. He stopped checking in the same day that you gave information to Jason Gideon that he had no business having. He’s a killer Ms. Garcia, and as far as I’m concerned, you are his accomplice. Jason Gideon is killing people, and you have given him all the tools he needs to find his victim pool. I am going to make sure there are consequences for what you did. I think you had the best intention, but you know what they say about the path to hell.”

Garcia sat in her chair stunned, shaking her head in denial. “You don’t understand! You don’t know Gideon. This must be why Gideon was checking! Don’t you see? It happened to him, and now it’s happening to Spencer. Oh, Gideon must be devastated! We have to help him!”

AD Evans looked at her shaking his head before he began to speak. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult a lawyer before speaking further. If you cannot afford one, the court can appoint one for you. If you decide to answer questions now without an attorney present, you will still have the right to stop answering at any time until you talk to an attorney.

“We don’t have anything else to ask you at this time. You are effectively fired as of now. You’ve had several chances, Ms. Garcia, and you threw each and every one of them in the trash can. You allowed an unsub access to the Bureau’s system by playing a personal game using our Wi-Fi. This caused one of the people on your team to almost be murdered, and some could argue led to the events that resulted in her leaving the Bureau. You used your access to unlawfully keep cases open without authorization. This caused your own stalking, and near death.

“You illegally blocked your boss’ file transfer for your own selfish wants and needs. You hacked a former lover’s file to find out personal information. Now, you have given information that was HIGHLY classified to someone who is no longer working for the Bureau resulting in multiple deaths and a missing operative. The fact that you violated them on such an epic level is disheartening. I only hope that Ms. Rodriguez learns from your errors of judgment.”

Tony frowned at her angrily. Unfortunately, he was able to imagine how Reid, Aaron, and the rest of the team were feeling. “The fact that you didn’t intend for all this to happen, doesn’t make any of it better, Ms. Garcia. The fact that you don’t understand, and don’t believe that Jason Gideon could be or is a killer isn’t going to matter. I would suggest for your own safety that my operative is still alive. If he isn’t, I can’t guarantee that you will remain breathing.”

Tony left the room, and behind him, Penelope Garcia sat at the table unable to understand why no one believed that there had to be another reason. She simply refused to believe that Jason Gideon was truly a monster and she’d helped get people killed.

Shaking her head, she wrapped her arms around herself as Derek came in to sit with her. Even he was looking at her with disbelief and anger. Surely there would be someone who understood. She hadn’t caused this. It wasn’t her. It wasn’t… She was just helping Gideon. They’d see. They’d find out the truth. She knew they would.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Jason looked down at the body of Ricky Bobby Petit with disgust. Another monster let go by a corrupt system. It had been risky, but he hadn’t been willing to leave town before the job was done. Unfortunately, that boy was going to interfere with his plans. He’d known eventually the team would find out about his work. He’d also known that they wouldn’t understand. Not even Spencer whom he’d groomed personally. He’d become so compromised since he’d left the Bureau that Jason wasn’t sure the young man even knew what justice was anymore.

Angry, he rolled the body over so that the back was up, and using the army knife stuck it through the temporary tattoo securing it to the murderer’s back. It was time to step up the plan. It was time to remind them all what justice is. He figured that his access would be cut off soon. It was a good thing he’d taken the time to write down the names of all of the team’s consults since they’d started. It was the little details that led to success.

Another thing that they’d forgotten.

It was time to remind them who he was. It was time to show them what he could do. Walking out of the inner field at the race track, Jason headed back to his car. The body would be discovered when they came in to set up for the race that day. He considered trying to track down that agent he’d injured, Will. There was no need for it though. He would die or he wouldn’t. Jason’s beef was not with him.

Getting in his car, he started the engine and programmed his GPS for his next stop, Portland Oregon. The lesson would become much harder now. Jason would use all of his knowledge to show them who the best really was. Aaron Hotchner was about to discover that Spencer wasn’t the only one with lessons to learn. You cannot let the guilty go and expect no consequences.

Eventually, Justice always caught up.

Jason Gideon was the instrument of Justice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Muahahahahahahaha Surprise!
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed the reveal. 
> 
> Next week, Tony and Raven go to check on the BAU gang. The week after that we finally get back to poor Will. Don't worry. He's safe... mostly. No killing any of the team off. At least not yet. hahaha I rule nothing out for future installments.
> 
> Reminder:I have two completed stories posting this week. Tuesday my NCIS Reverse Big Bang story posts titled London's Calling. This features a pairing of Tony DiNozzo/Alec Trevelyan from the 00Q James Bond verse Fandom. Don't let this throw you off though. The Bond stuff is very minor, and Alec is pretty damned OOC the way I use him. (In my world Alec was never a bad guy, 'cause I have a weakness for Sean Bean.) So, he's almost an OC. Also, the relationship is very secondary. The story is mostly Tony-Centric, but I love giving my fav character a love interest. I've also build some OCs for this story centered around the Paddington family that you will see crop up in Tony fics from now on.
> 
> Then, on Wednesday, I post my first Criminal Minds Big Bang fic. This one is called Against the Grain. It is an Aaron Hotchner/Dean Winchester pairing. Tony does have a part in the story, but it is secondary. This is a Sentinel/Guide story with my own twists. There will be a sequel that is more Tony/Sam oriented that builds on this one at some point. No promises when. Just that it will happen.
> 
> Also still working on a couple shorter fics. One is a Spencer/Steve McGarrett story for a series of unrelated Spencer one shots I wanna do with various Non-Tony Non-Hotch pairings for him. The other is for my Tony & Verse and pairs Tony with Brian Kinney and Justin Taylor from Queer as Folk (US Version). Lastly I have a Tony/Hotch 5K-ish one shot to post in the next week-ish for another challenge. 
> 
> Hope you all have a good week. As always, thank you for reading, and for those who comment.


	18. Putting Birdlings in Precarious Positions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just hours after discovering Penelope Garcia was responsible for leaking Will's identity and Jason Gideon was their unsub, Tony decides to touch base with the BAU. He's concerned about Aaron, and DiNozzo is concerned about Hotch. Instead of taking Elijah though, he decides he needs someone a little... softer. Someone who will remind them that the EU&IU understands how they feel about their former hacker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am terribly sorry for the delay. RL decided to kick my ass, and I'm not sure it's stopped yet. The plan is to still post the next chapter tomorrow as scheduled. So, not only will you get two chapters in two days, but hopefully we'll be back on track.

Banner by Rivermoon1970

 

 

 

 **Chapter Eighteen:** _Putting Birdlings in Precarious Positions_

 

Tony was sitting in his office staring at the ceiling. His door was firmly closed, and the shades pulled. He was hoping that his team understood the metaphorical do not disturb sign. He needed to get his head together and try and work through how he felt about the morning’s events versus how Agent in Charge DiNozzo felt about the same events.

AIC DiNozzo was furious over the events that occurred because the BAU’s Technical Analyst chose which rules and procedures should and shouldn’t be followed. DiNozzo was loudly cheering for the arrest and hoped that she ended up in jail, even though he doubted it got that far. Most likely there would be a plea bargain, and he guessed that she would end up with little more than probation. At least her job with the FBI was over though.

Tony seemed to be torn though. He was upset at the thought that his agent could be out there hurt or dead somewhere. He understood that his new friend’s confidence in Tony’s own ability to keep him safe had most likely been compromised. He also understood that it was hard to question the motives of someone that you admired.

While he didn’t know Ms. Garcia personally, from everything he’d heard, her life glasses were much rosier than Tony’s had ever been. Naiveté was costly, and unfortunately, they were all going to pay the price for hers in some way.

Tony was trying not to focus on Will, as hard as that was. DiNozzo couldn’t think of anything else. Both halves of him were tied up in guilt over what could be going on with his operative. He had calls out to both Trent and Robert. Neither of which had been returned as if yet. The reasonable side of him pointed out that Trent was most likely on a mission overseas, and Robert was most likely using what contacts he had left to try and find his husband. In fact, he would be highly surprised if Robert wasn’t already in Charleston, SC. If he wasn’t Will’s emergency backup, then Tony had seriously lost his ability to read people.

Aaron…

He hadn’t seen the Unit Chief since the other man rushed out of the interrogation room. Tony had personally been the one that booked Penelope Garcia. It hadn’t been his most favorite thing that he’d ever done in his professional career, but he wasn’t going to put it on someone else. By the time he was done, the BAU had sequestered themselves in their conference room, understandably. Even AIC DiNozzo was worried about UC Hotchner. So, that said a lot in his current state of mind.

Going to see him felt like the right thing to do. Going to see him as AIC DiNozzo seemed like a really bad fucking idea. Not letting himself stop to think about it, Tony stood and crossed to the wardrobe. Loosening his tie, he pulled it over his head, then quickly unbuttoned his shirt removing it as well. Hearing a hesitant knock on his door, Tony called out to come in as he pulled a green T-shirt over his head.

“Goin’ somewhere, boss?” He heard, and turning his head saw Elijah standing in the doorway.

Pulling out his leather jacket, Tony pulled it on as he nodded. “I am going up to the BAU. I don’t want this to end up being an us versus them bullshit thing. They’re mad. We’re mad. There are only two people to really be pissed off at, and neither of those people is currently a member of either team.”

“Sounds like a good idea. Do you need company?”

Tony was about to say no. It was the first thing that came to mind, but he paused and thought about the question. “Yes, but not you. Call Ramirez up here, please.”

Elijah nodded and stepped out calling out to Raven to come up to Tony’s office. He was curious to see where his boss was going with this. While his protective instincts told him to keep her out of the fray, the SIC in him had to admit that it was a genius strategic move. There would be no better way to reduce tension than reminding them that the EU&IU had their own former black hat hacker that they were terribly fond of.

Raven came in and looked at Elijah questioningly. “You wanted to see me, Tony?”

Nodding, he ran his fingers through his hair to give it a less polished look. Once he decided he was as un-Agent in Charge as he was going to get, he turned and smiled at his junior agent.

“Raven, I need a favor, and I want you to know that I totally mean it when I say you can say no. I will understand. I’m asking you to put yourself into what could be a hostile or even volatile environment. The thing is that I believe you are the best one for the job.”

Raven thought about it, turning wide eyes to Elijah. Her friend though just shrugged and offered a supportive half smile. So, she turned her attention back to her boss. “What do you need me to do?”

“I am going up to the BAU, and I want you to come with me. I don’t know what the reaction is going to be. My guess is that at least one person is going to be upset that I am there. I am hoping that with you at my side someone will remember we aren’t the enemy.”

“Because I am like Garcia?” Raven asked quietly looking down at the floor. Tony moved over to stand in front of her and lifted her head with a finger under her chin.

“No, not because you are like Penelope Garcia. I want you to go because you and she have things in common. You, however, have an important difference from her. You and she started off in similar places. You were both angry, lonely, and hated the world. You both blamed society for the crappy life that you’d had. So, you both used your technical knowledge to get back at it.

“You both got caught, and then chose to go with the good guys to avoid jail. The difference between you is the person that you each became after that. Garcia seems to have stuck her head in the sand and tried her best to forget all of the bad that she did. She almost forced herself to become this… innocent and naïve person that she wasn’t. Honestly, she couldn’t be.”

Tony sighed as unwillingly thoughts of Sciuto entered his mind, but ruthlessly he forced them away. “You can’t do the things that she did, and really be that… clueless for lack of a kinder word. She literally made herself be a completely different person. The problem is, in doing so, she cut herself off from all those life lessons that she should have been using in her new world.”

When Raven bit her lip, Tony gently pried it out from between her teeth. “You, on the other hand, my Little Bird Probie, went a different and in my opinion better route. You don’t pretend to be anything other than who you are, and who you’ve always been. The only changes you made were ones that allowed you to remove yourself from your old life, and grow as a person. You opened yourself up to the things Avery wanted to teach you. You opened yourself up to the idea that maybe the world as a whole wasn’t as bad as you thought. It’s just that you got a really crap stick.

“From what Lija tells me, you are still the same cynical, ambitious, take no crap chick that they busted. That, my dear Raven, is why you will not fall into the Penelope trap. You have retained enough understanding that people are basically all assholes to prevent you from doing something that is wrong, just because a friend asks you to. You also have a healthy understanding of watching out for yourself first. Another thing that Ms. Garcia deliberately forgot. So, I am asking that you help me, Little Bird. Are you up for it?”

When Raven took a deep breath and then nodded, Tony proudly patted her shoulder. Heading toward the door, he advised Elijah to keep an eye on things. Determined not to let her boss down, Raven followed him promising herself that she would have his back no matter what.

Tony stepped off of the elevator with Raven trailing directly behind and off to his left. He took great pride in the fact that she seemed to naturally pick that spot. He was coming to understand just how truly amazing his team was a little more each day.

With his chin held high, Tony walked confidently through the glass doors to the BAU, and up the ramp toward Hotch’s office. He didn’t see the team at their desks, and Aaron wasn’t in his office. Looking toward the conference room, he noticed that they were still gathered in there, but the door was now open.

He hesitated outside of the UC’s office door as he tried to decide what he was going to do. Unfortunately, the few seconds he stood there were all that he needed to be spotted by David Rossi.

“YOU!” He heard shouted and sighed as the irate older Italian came storming out of the room with Hotch and Morgan hot on his heels. Quickly Tony motioned Raven behind him, hoping that it wouldn’t get physical, but not wanting to risk her safety if it did. He had no intention of getting his Probie caught up in a brawl.

“Whatever you do, Little Birdling, DO. NOT. RESPOND to him.” Tony warned but didn’t have time to say anything else before the veteran profiler was on him.

“Haven’t you done enough damage for one day? Then to top it off you bring your little wanna-be hacker bitch with you? Neither one of you is classy enough to breathe the same air as Penelope Garcia!”

“DAVE!”

“Rossi, man stop!”

Tony braced himself, quickly changing his mind about the possibility of a physical altercation, but was determined not to react. Forcing himself to stay calm and open. Tony held his hands out to his sides letting Hotch and Morgan do their thing.

“DAVE! ENOUGH!” Hotch hollered and looked at Tony, who fortunately read his mind. Ushering Raven ahead of him, he retreated inside Aaron's office so as to remove themselves from Rossi’s sight and shut the door behind them.

Once inside, he moved toward the back of the office and sat on the couch studying Raven who chose one of the chairs. “OK?” He asked.

He was proud when she just lifted her chin, and said, “No sweat, boss.”

When the door opened, Tony forced himself to remain seated, and with a hand, gesture kept Raven in her seat as well. Fortunately, it was only Hotch and Morgan. Leaning forward, Tony rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together as he looked up at the two men approaching them. They both looked wrecked.

“AIC DiNozzo… Tony,” Hotch greeted, “Technical Analyst Ramirez, thank you for retreating. I am beginning to wonder if there is something more to this whole Dave being upset about Penelope than just simply defending a co-worker.”

Tony slowly stood nodding to Raven who quickly rose to stand next to him. “Aaron, Agent Morgan,” Tony greeted softly.

“I’m sorry if our presence caused upset. It wasn’t our intention. Personal feelings for her that go beyond that of a teammate would certainly explain his hair-trigger temper.”

“It’s not your fault, Tony. To be honest, it doesn’t really matter. I’d already made it clear to the team and Dave that the line was not to be crossed again, and he did it anyway. I can assure you that there will be some time off coming to SSA Rossi for his lack of personal restraint.” Aaron admitted, and Tony relaxed slightly at the use of his first name. He wasn’t sure how he felt about Rossi getting a suspension but then decided that he wasn’t going to let it get to him. If he was in Aaron’s shoes, he would do the same thing. No matter how much he’d hate it.

Turning to Derek, Tony tried to let his facial expression relay his regret. “Agent Morgan, I know you and Technical Analyst Garcia are close. I can honestly say that we never imagined this was even a possibility when we started this investigation. We were just worried about Will, and Raven was doing nothing more than double checking her own work to ensure she hadn’t missed something.”

Derek shook his head clearly angry. “This ain’t on you. There are two people responsible for this. As much as it pains me to admit it, one of those is my Baby Girl. I love her to death, and I will stand by her as much as I can. That doesn’t mean though that I don’t recognize that she did wrong. She knew what she was doing was against regulations, but she did it anyway. All for that bastard Gideon. He’s the one I’m really pissed at. He’s obviously gone off the deep end, and he doesn’t seem to give a shit who he takes with him.”

Derek turned his gaze to Raven and stepping forward lifted her gaze to meet his. “Ain’t nobody on this team blamin’ you. Anyone in this building gives you shit about this, and your team ain’t around Sweet Thang, you come and get me. You just keep workin’ your groove and prove them all wrong, you hear me? Don’t worry about Rossi. He’ll get over whatever’s crawled up his ass, or Hotch’ll pull it out.”

Derek looked at Tony and smiled. “You mind if I take her out to meet the others? I am sure you two have… case things to discuss.”

Raven snorted and rolled her eyes. “Just remember the walls around here aren’t soundproof, Boss.” She said sassily, and Derek laughed as Hotch and Tony blushed.

“Come on, Sweetness, let’s leave the lovebirds alone,” Derek snickered and pulled her out of the office.

Once he was gone, Tony and Aaron looked at each other before Tony stepped forward and put his arms around the other man. “I am so sorry, Aaron.”

He felt the other man’s arms go around his waist, and tucked his head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, too, Tone. Jesus, we all hope Will is alive. I can’t even imagine what you must be feeling with this being your first case. What a goddamn clusterfuck. Karma must have it in for us, or maybe she’s just testing our resolve.”

Tony swallowed thickly and nodded resting his cheek against Hotch’s. They stood there losing track of time, each taking comfort in the other. Tony’s sick worry over Will’s health, and Aaron’s bone weary betrayal by one of the people he trusted the most in the world. Jason Gideon wasn’t just someone he worked with.

Jason was as much of a mentor as Rossi. He was someone that Aaron had considered a friend and almost family. When he’d disappeared, Hotch felt hurt, but in his heart, he’d known it was the best thing to do. He couldn’t stop wondering if there wasn’t some sign of this break from reality that he missed before the older man left them without warning.

Tony, on the other hand, wondered how he’d managed to get his new highly experienced deep undercover specialist hurt on his first mission. Will was someone that he’d quickly bonded with. Robert was someone that Tony found that he could relate to, and his wit and sarcasm were things that Tony understood. When Tony had been sitting in his office, he’d been scared to death that the necessary actions of AIC DiNozzo would cost Tony, someone, he was considering for a part in his future.

Tony wasn’t sure how he felt about Penelope Garcia. His two halves were still torn on the subject. Both of them agreed though that Jason Gideon was an evil bastard, and would be taken down no matter how long it took.


	19. Where Am I, Again?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out what's happened to Will. Did Jason kill him, or is there another explanation?

 

Banner by Rivermoon1970

 

##  **Chapter Nineteen:** _Where Am I, Again?_

 

Will laid down panting in the safe house he’d broken into. He was glad that he was fortunate enough to have been attacked somewhere he knew where the CIA had a hideout. He wasn’t really sure how happy his old bosses would be, but he’d make sure Tony let Trent know. He wasn’t going to apologize for using the resources he had to stay alive. The house was… well not even really a house. It was more like a shack.

It had running water, and it had electricity. It was in the middle of nowhere though, and the electricity required the generator be turned on. Will was pretty sure that he didn’t have the strength to start it though. Fortunately, there were enough candles and oil lamps around that he didn’t need to at that moment. The morning would be soon enough.

After getting them all lit, he’d sat down, and stitched himself up. He was pretty sure he had a mild concussion. That jackass Gideon had hit him over the head pretty hard. Fortunately, he’d been able to move in time so that he landed more of a glancing blow than a direct shot.

Unfortunately, the fucker had broken his goddamned phone. Robert was going to have a cow. Luckily it was his work phone and had no real information on it. To be safe, he’d pulled both the memory card and the SIM Card, before throwing the damaged device in a pond he’d crossed.

Jason Gideon.

Jesus, Robert wasn’t the only one who was going to have a cow.

Will was trying to stay awake. He needed to contact Robert or Tony. Let them know he was safe, and who their unsub was. Unfortunately, he couldn’t fight his body, and sleep came quickly.

The next morning when he woke up, his arm was throbbing, his head was fuzzy, and he wasn’t sure where he was. Something was poking at his brain telling him that he had something important to do.

Something vital.

Standing he wobbled until he grabbed the bedpost to steady himself. Once he was confident that he could walk without falling over, he moved away from the bed and started exploring the building. It wasn’t very big. Just a shack really. There were no light switches, but the few rooms there were all had burnt out candles. He stood in what would act as the living room, scratching his head, and winced in pain as he hit a lump on the side of his head.

Definitely a concussion of some sort. His mouth felt like the Sahara had relocated there. So, probably dehydrated. Not good. Both were most likely contributing to his confusion. Wandering into the kitchen area, Will opened the refrigerator, seeing it was filled with odd non-food things like bags of blood combined with bottles of water and other drinks.

Definitely strange.

Definitely CIA.

Taking out a couple bottles of water, he wandered back to the living room, and half collapsed onto the couch as he tried to jump start his memory. CIA…. Shack… Safe House. He was in one of the off the books CIA safe houses that were scattered around the world. The bottle of water label was written in English though. He couldn’t quite make out the made in location, but something in his head whispered to him that he was in the US.

But why was he in a CIA safe house?

For some reason that felt more wrong than it should. He worked for the CIA, right? Draining one bottle, he opened the other and wished he’d brought one of the sports drinks too, as he continued to work the problem. No, he didn’t work for the CIA. Tony DiNozzo.

He was working for Trent Kort’s cousin at…. The FBI.

“Fuck.”

Finally, everything came back together. Looking at his hand, he frowned seeing a sports drink in one, and a granola bar in the other. He was losing time. “Shit, s’more than a mild concussion.”

“Why’m I in a CIA safe house, if I work for Tony?”

Running his hands through his hair again, he frowned realizing it was a lot shorter than he normally wore it. Looking at his clothing, he noticed he was wearing a Navy working uniform. He wasn’t in the Navy though. Robert had been in the Marines…

“Fuck, Robert.”

Standing, Will dug his hands through his various uniform pockets, but only came up with a memory card, and a SIM card. “Shit missed m’check-in.”

Looking around the living room, he searched knowing what he needed was there somewhere… and finally found it. Heading over to the wall holding a floor to ceiling bookshelf, Will grabbed the side and pulled swinging the door open to reveal the hidden cache of weapons, and various other things an operative might need including secure cell phones.

Grabbing one, he popped his SIM card in, and then immediately came up blank on which of the numbers were the real ones. He knew that most of them would be either fake or come up to other things like pizza places, Chinese carry out, etc.

He couldn’t remember which one took him to Tony, or whoever was his contact at the FBI. Only one name in the contact list looked familiar. Snorting at his lover’s geekiness Will hit the entry for Stark Enterprises.

“Jesus, where are you? You missed your fucking check in.”

“R’bert?”

Wandering out of the room, Will moved back to the couch and fell down into it frowning again at the sports drink feeling somewhat offended by its presence.

“D’I lose you?” Will asked and looked at his phone, only to see the call was still going.

“Sorry, you’re hurt. Concussion it sounds like. Even mind ones make you sound like you’ve been on a three-week bender. Anything else?”

“M’arm hurts,” Will pouted and put his hand over the spot that was paining him.

“Bandages.”

“OK, do you know where you are? I am almost to Charleston. I will come get you. What happened? Do you remember? Or is your head doing that fucked up memory thing? Did you run into the perp?”

Just like that, Will’s memory slipped back into place. “FUCK!”

“That doesn’t sound positive. Do you know where you are? I’m driving, I can’t trace your phone right now. Next time I am not giving into your stupid 100-mile buffer zone bullshit.”

“Stop.” Will ordered, but his partner just talked over it.

“I’m serious, Will, 100 miles is too far away for your backup! We are having this discussion the second I get there. You…”

“Robert! Do not come here!” Will insisted, and groaned as he accidentally ran over the bump on his head with his hand.

“Will, there is no way….”

“It’s Jason fucking Gideon, Robert.”

There was only silence to meet his statement. Then he finally heard, “I’m pulling over.”

After several long minutes filled with his husband swearing, and lots of blown horns, he finally heard, “say that again.”

“The unsub is Jason Gideon the former profiler who founded the Behavioral Analysis Unit. He recognized me from when he vetted me for the CIA. I tried to talk myself out of it, but, Robert, he already knew I was working for the FBI. He knew my undercover identity. Someone in the FBI is helping him out. Robert, you have to turn around, and head to Tony. There’s no fucking way he knows this.”

“You’re hurt,” Robert protested weakly, and Will knew that was the concerned partner in him that was being overridden by the former military operative.

“I’m in the crash pad just outside of Charleston. I’ll be fine. Now that my brain is less fuzzy, I can defend myself if it comes to that. I can even go outside and start the generator. I think. I’ll probably just sleep for the most of today anyway. You need to get to Tony though. No phones! We don’t know who is helping him. So, we have to assume that his communications are compromised.”

“He’s been trying to reach me,” Robert admitted, “I haven’t replied because I wanted to find you first.”

“I might have gotten a little miffed that this happened the first time he assigned you to a case.”

“It’s not his fault, Robby,” Will said softly, and Robert could hear him moving around.

“There’s no way anyone could have expected the bad guy to be Jason. I can tell you this much though. He’s fuckin fruit loops, man. There’s no way there’s only two bodies. Tell Tony he said something about being the instrument of justice. I know I have two more check-ins…”

“One.” Robert interrupted, and Will stopped confused.

“What? No, Tony and I agreed on three days.”

“I am aware,” Robert explained softly cursing his lover’s brain. For some reason, concussions even mild ones that would barely affect others at all always seemed to hit him three times worse.

“You’ve missed two check-ins babe. This is Friday morning.”

“Shit,” Will swore softly as he moved to lay back down on the bed.

“Then you really need to get to Tony. Go to Tobias’ house. Don’t go to the office. You have my number. Trent should be able to tell Tony where the fuck I’m at. Shit… I’m sorry, babe.”

“It’s the price superheroes pay to keep the world safe, remember?”

“Except you aren’t Tony Stark, and I’m not Hawkeye. No cool gadgets or outfits.” Will pouted, his words slurring again, and Robert knew he was falling asleep.

“I’m better than Tony Stark. Expect a call in two hours. I love you. If you fall into a coma and die, I am kicking your ass.”

His lover’s snores were his only response. Ending the call, Robert rested his head on the steering wheel for a moment. He was safe. He wasn’t dead. He was hurt, but he’d recover. Now, he just had to get to Bruce Wayne. ‘Cause if Tony DiNozzo was going to be a superhero, it would totally fucking be Bruce Motherfuckin’ Wayne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some creative license with the concussion. Although, I am aware that not all concussions are the same, and symptoms can vary from one person to the next.


	20. Contact is Made & Looking for Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert makes contact with Tony, and the two men have a heart to heart over Tony's guilty conscience. Then, Chin Ho and Raven begin their investigation into Jason Gideon.

Banner by Rivermoon1970

 

##  **Chapter Twenty:** _Contact is Made & Looking for Answers_

 

When Tony walked into the house that evening, he was balancing two six-packs of beer to go with the pizzas that Fornell was to be picking up. They’d both had long days, and were not in the mood to do actual cooking. Tony was emotionally wrung out from the rollercoaster of his day. Arresting Garcia, finding out one of the profiling legends had gone off the deep end, and then surviving two confrontations with David Rossi followed by a surprisingly schmoopy moment in Aaron’s office had just about done him in. Tobias, on the other hand, spent his day doing paperwork, and explaining to rookies why they had to put actual information in their reports.  
  
Heading straight to the kitchen, his intent was to put both six packs in the fridge to get cold, when he heard movement behind him. It was closely followed by, “Don’t drop that.”  
  
Fortunately, he already had one balance under one of his arms. Twirling around and grabbing one of his service weapons out of the shoulder holster he chose to wear at the FBI in one fluid motion. Fortunately for Robert, Tony’s brain kicked in, and he managed not to shoot him.  
  
“God FUCKING dammit! Do you have a death wish?!”  
  
Robert frowned completely ignoring the gun pointed at him. “Why do people always ask me that? Will asks me that all of the time.”  
  
Leaning back against the now closed fridge door, Tony went to put his hand on his forehead, only to remember at the last second he was still holding the gun. Growling, he slipped the safety back on and slipped the weapon into the back waistband of his pants.  
  
“He’s alive by the way. Foggy from a concussion, and he got either shot or stabbed in the arm, but he’s alive.”  
  
This time Tony’s hand was free as he ran it over his face. “Fuck,” he muttered softly, and stubbornly ignored the water leaking out of his eyes. He was absolutely not fucking crying.  
  
“He’s apparently holed up at a CIA crash pad outside of Charleston, South Carolina. Only Will has problems with concussions. They scramble his brains, even if it’s just mild. They turn his memory into Swiss cheese. Because of that, he isn’t sure where this crash pad is at, and it isn’t like he can just go out and ask someone.”  
  
Nodding and already planning the text conversation in his head, Tony turned around again and finished the task of putting the beers in the fridge. “Want one? I have Thomas Hooker Octoberfest Lagers and Bleached Blonde Ale made by The Blind Bat Brewery. I think I still have a couple bottles of Funky Buddha Last Snow Coconut Coffee Porter that I got to go with the chocolate cake last week. Won’t go with the pizza when it comes, but it was damned good.”  
  
“I’m game,” Robert offered watching Tony grab the last two bottles, then put the other two six packs in the fridge before coming over.  
  
“You’re not gonna believe who your unsub is.”  
  
“Jason Gideon,” Tony offered, taking a healthy swallow of his beer, “and you are right.”  
  
“I found it hard to believe. If they ever find that fucker, I’m pretty sure he’s not gonna make it to prison.”  
  
“I feel like you’re reading my mind,” Robert complained frowning. “Bruce Wayne doesn’t read minds. Stop it.”  
  
When Tony just blinked at him, Robert smirked. The front door was heard opening and slamming shut. “Dinner is here!”  
  
“We have company, dad!” Tony yelled back, ignoring how quickly or high Robert’s eyebrow lifted. Fortunately, the other man did have tact when he needed it, and he refrained from asking questions.  
  
“Oh, thank God,” Tobias said coming in and seeing who it was. “I was afraid it was that bald prick, again.”  
  
“Another member for the club!” Robert cheered.  
  
“Meetings are on Thursdays. Aren’t they always? No stupid accents allowed.”  
  
Tony snorted and shook his head. “What does Bruce Wayne have to do with this?”  
  
Robert blushed, which Tony found extremely interesting. “Will says that people like us are as close to superheroes as the world will ever get. So, he’s Hawkeye. I, of course, am Tony Stark. I decided that you are Bruce Wayne. It seems like a no-brainer.”  
  
Tony grinned. His bottle of beer resting against his lips. “I am… Batman!” He exclaimed striking a post, and Tobias almost dropped the plates he laughed so hard. Robert snorted and grinned goofily.  
  
Tony laughed until he was forced to wipe tears off his face. They all pretended that he’d never stopped laughing. “Fuck, Robert I’m sorry. I can’t even…”  
  
“This isn’t your fault, DiNozzo,” Robert offered softly.  
  
“I don’t honestly even want to be mad at you. When Will was with the CIA, I’d sit locked in my studio for days and weeks on end, terrified that he’d never come home. I was scared shitless on the most routine of assignments because I was always afraid he was going to end up dead, kidnapped, or tortured.”  
  
Robert lifted his gaze up from the label he was picking at to look Tony in the eyes. “In the short time he’s known you, I already know I can trust you. I’m not afraid to send him out because I know you give a fuck. This isn’t your fault. It’s Jason Gideon’s fault, and whoever the fucking mole is at the FBI.”  
  
“Penelope Garcia,” Tony threw out softly, then drained his bottle and stood.  
  
“I’m going to change. I’ll be back.”  
  
Robert frowned confused and turned worried eyes to Tobias, who held up a finger. Once he heard the slam of a door, and the shower turning on shortly after, Tobias started speaking. “Aaron Hotchner, whom you met at the cookout.”  
  
Robert nodded feeling more confused nodded.  
  
“I don’t know what was you were told about what he does when you met him. He is the current Unit Chief of the Behavioral Analysis Unit, of which Jason Gideon was a founding member of. Jason wasn’t just a co-worker though. Aaron considered him a mentor, a friend, and family.”  
  
Robert sighed. “I forgot that was the department where Aaron worked. What does that have to do with Penelope Garcia?”  
  
Tobias got up to get a bottle of beer, deciding to go with the blonde ale to go with the pizza. He grabbed two others for Tony and Robert wasting time using the bottle opener on the fridge.  
  
“She’s their technical analyst. Aaron recruited her personally after he caught her during one of her hacking jobs. She’d been on one of our hire or jail lists for a while. He decided that she’d be more useful working for us instead of in a cell. Needless to say, it didn’t go over well, and Tony’s… torn. We haven’t talked about it, but my guess is his two sides are fighting over how he should feel about it.”  
  
Robert sighed deeply and nodded. “Well fuck. If Will weren’t hurt, I’d offer to help however I can, but…”  
  
Tobias waved a hand. “Tony will want you to take care of your partner first. But… if you’d be willing to do me a favor?”  
  
Robert waved his hand in a ‘Go On’ gesture, and Tobias continued. “He’s never had family that mattered. This new team means… well everything to him. I know it’s a ways off, but… if you guys don’t go somewhere for Thanksgiving…?”  
  
“He and Hotchner will have an invite you have my word,” Robert swore. “He’s as much family to us already as I hope we are to him.”  
  
Tobias nodded and sat back down at the table. “I’d take him home to my family but well… holiday gatherings tend to be chaotic, and someone always gets drunk. Usually my sister’s jackass husband. I’m not sure the Fornell clan is the best first family holiday experience.”  
  
“Don’t worry. We got it covered,” Robert promised, holding his beer bottle up in salute.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
When Tony came in the next day, he wasn’t surprised to see Raven and Chin already there even though it was a Saturday morning. He senior analyst advised him the night before that they’d started a nationwide search for similar cases. Hotch told him, when they were in his office, that he would be surprised if these were the first two of Jason’s kills. Apparently, Chin had the same idea, because he was already starting to work on it when he returned with the Birdling. His team totally kicked ass.  
  
  
  
Heading down to where they were working, Tony set down the bag of bagels from Panera, the breakfast sandwiches and hash browns from McDonalds, and tray of smoothies.

  
“Boss, it’s like you can read my mind!” Raven exclaimed grabbing a berry smoothie and digging into the bags.  
  
  
“Cinnamon Crunch bagels!!” Tony didn’t bother to resist laughing as the exuberant woman jumped up and hugged him.  
  
  
“I don’t know how you do it, but keep it up, B-man!”  
  
“It comes with the position I think, Probie. Fornell was able to do the same thing. It’s a very creepy bonus included with their benefits package. Thanks for the grease boss. I needed it. I did break into your office and got some tea.”  
  
“Working on your lock picking skills Kelly? What was your time this morning?”  
  
“Two minutes flat, B-man!” Raven held out the timer app on her phone to show him. “I timed him.”  
  
Tony nodded. “How’s the search coming?”  
  
Chin sighed. “Slowly.” He admitted regretfully. “It’s early, and it’s Saturday. I won’t be surprised if it’s Monday before we get any real information.  
  
Nodding, Tony grabbed his peach smoothie and food, including the cinnamon crunch bagel because Raven was right they totally fucking kick ass. “Keep working on it, Kelly!”  
  
As he walked away, he heard Raven ask, “Do you think he meant the case or your lock picking skills? Because I am sure you could practice on Morgan’s door.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One day late... my apologies. 
> 
> Didn't get as much accomplished writing wise last month, but I am still plugging away at some things. For those that follow me for Rough Trade, I am taking July off. I have decided I need to get some other larger fics I am working on done before starting something new. Including the Vegas story from last July, which I have hit a snag on. Hopefully though I will still have things to offer you beyond this fic.
> 
> Next week - Rossi attempts to give Tony the ol' shovel talk. *snort* Then a request is made for the BAU team to be included in the Jason Gideon investigation.


	21. A Shovel Talk Only Not Quite & Combining Forces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rossi decides he's going to give Tony the shovel talk to ensure the younger man knows his place. Unfortunately, it doesn't go the way he had hoped it would. Then, a request is made for the EU&IU to include the BAU into the Jason Gideon case.

Banner By Rivermoon1970

 

## Chapter Twenty-One: A Shovel Talk Only Not Quite & Combining Forces

 

Tony was in his office going over all of the information that they had so far on Jason Gideon and the murders they’d uncovered. So far they had 26 people in 16 different cities. He had an urge to send the two agents that discovered the connection between their cases a fruit basket in thanks. If the two men hadn’t been talking shop, they would most likely still be in the dark, and Jason would be killing without anyone the wiser. As it was, he had a bad feeling this was not going to end anytime soon. Jason Gideon had been one of the best at what he did. Unless he really fucked up, Tony was pretty sure he’d be damned near unstoppable.  
  
Hearing a knock on his door, he looked you to see David Rossi standing there. “Can I help you, Special Agent Rossi?”  
  
Instead of responding, the older man walked into the office and closed the door. Tony resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He wasn’t positive what the veteran profiler’s issue was with him, but he had a few ideas. So, instead, he looked out the window and shook his head at his team to keep them from storming the office. They were a loyal bunch and weren’t sure about Tony’s safety around Aaron’s BAU team.  
  
“We need to talk,” Rossi said, and Tony turned his attention back to the man now seated in front of his desk.  
  
“By all means,” Tony offered. His face blank of emotion.  
  
“What is it that you would like to speak to me about?”  
  
“I encouraged Aaron to speak to you because I believe that he needs to move on from Haley. Do not take that as a sign that I think you are good enough for him. You are just a stepping stone to get him to someone worthy of him. I don’t know how you conned Tobias, but you won’t fool me. I am familiar with your father. It’s been my experience that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”  
  
Tony relaxed into his chair, and lifting his coffee mug took a drink. Then, smiling at the older man, he replied. “Special Agent David Rossi. One of the founding members of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. You go through wives like some people do cars. You’re personally responsible for the fraternization rules around here. You left to become a writer until you what… ran out of material? Let’s be honest, Rossi. This meeting and your bullshit with me has very little to do with my father. He’s just the excuse that you’re using to justify your little tantrum. As for the apple not falling far from the tree, does the name Ashley Seaver ring any bells for you? Or, do you regularly recommend people you believe will be serial killers for open spots on your team?”  
  
“Am I supposed to be…?”  
  
“Shut up, SSA Rossi,” Tony said calmly and steadily.  
  
“You came into my office in the middle of a case to wave your cock in my face to what? Make sure I knew you had one? Let’s say this is about my old man. I am well aware who you are. My father hates you, but he was always more than a little amused that you just weren’t quite good enough to catch him. Considering that he’s still running around scot-free I’d say you still aren’t.”  
  
When the older man actually growled at him, Tony just snorted.  
  
“Seriously man. I already told you that you don’t intimidate me, and I meant it. Leroy Jethro Gibbs is the biggest bastard on the fucking planet. Not only did I work for him, but I half fell in love with him. So, really, can you just can it? Like I said before this isn’t about Senior. It’s about the fact that you got blind sighted by what your prospective Mrs. Rossi #4 was doing and the fact that your former best friend Jason Gideon is responsible for it. Yeah, I am aware that you were once again violating the fraternization rules with your team’s Technical Analysis. Don’t worry, I’m not gonna go running to daddy to tattle.”  
  
“I don’t need your favors, you little twerp.” David snarled, and Tony just laughed.  
  
“Twerp? Wow. I’m a little disappointed. I really thought that you could be more original than that in the insult game. You had to know the second I said her name in that room that we were going to find out you two were an item. You call her personal number a little too much for it to be professional. Your fingerprints are all over her apartment including on the headboard of her bed. There is seriously no way for you to justify your fingerprints being on her headboard for a strictly professional relationship. Ah, ah zip it!  
  
“Yeah, the CSIs had a field day with that one. They couldn’t really justify ruling those out and were told not to disqualify anyone initially. You can keep being mad at me. You can keep attacking me. You can sit there and threaten my relationship with Aaron. In the end, though, you’re just an angry old man who got surprised and can’t take the truth gracefully. Don’t come at me again, Agent Rossi unless it’s for work or case related issues. Frankly, at this point, my relationship with Aaron is none of YOUR business. You’ve ruined your right to have any say in it. Now, I suggest you leave, before you embarrass yourself further.”  
  
“I would agree.”  
  
Looking up sharply, Tony saw AD Evans standing in the open doorway with Tobias behind him looking highly unhappy. Sighing, he tilted his head to one side. This wasn’t what he wanted to happen, but a small part of him was filled with warmth at the concern his team had for him. Because there was no way those two were there without a call from someone.  
  
“I see that our little talk didn’t take, David. I was sure I told you to keep it professional and stay away from the EU&IU Team unless it was related to Jason’s case. When Agent Mundo called and advised he was concerned by your presence in his AIC’s office, I couldn’t believe my ears. I mean surely you wouldn’t disobey a direct order. Of course, then I remembered who it was. I think it’s time you and I had a little chat about your position in this agency, and just who you are NOT.”  
  
Tony watched Rossi open his mouth to defend himself, but AD Evans just glared angrily. “Shut it and move, SSA Rossi!”  
  
The veteran profiler must have known he’d gone too far at that point because he quickly stood and walked out of the office without looking back once. When the AD just nodded, Tony took a deep breath and gave him a shaky smile. The look Tobias gave him promised that they’d be talking later. Once they left, he tried to bury himself in the case information again.  
  
Soon though he heard another knock on his door, and looking up saw Elijah standing there. Sitting back, he waved the man in and then folded his hands on the desktop. He was a little curious about what this visit was all about.  
  
“I know you said not to interfere boss, but I couldn’t just let it go,” Elijah said quietly and calmly looking him in the eye.  
  
“DiNozzo Rule Number 1: Don’t sit on the sidelines while your people are in trouble. As far as I am concerned that means you too, boss. David Rossi has a hell of a lot more pull in this building than the two of us combined. It’s obvious that he’s taking this whole thing personally. I had to call Fornell, but I swear I didn’t know he was gonna bring the AD.”  
  
Tony waved a hand in the air and flashed a half smile. “Tobias probably called him. He told me not to take this Rossi thing lightly, but I didn’t want it to become a thing. As you know we’re having a meeting later with Aaron and someone else from his team. They’ve made an official request to be included in working the Gideon case with us. We’re going to agree to a reduced team, and they will basically be acting in consultant positions only. It’s the only way to keep them involved but work around the conflict of interest issue. I think we’re going to need their insight into Gideon, but we can’t let the case be thrown out due to a technicality.”  
  
“Do you really think Gideon’s going to go quietly?”  
  
Tony sighed and steepled his fingers. “If we got lucky and caught him off guard, yes. Do I think that’s going to happen? Probably not. I have a bad feeling about this whole case, Lijah. This body count isn’t going to stop anytime soon. I hate to say it, but our only hope might be that he completely loses it. That may be our only chance at him making a mistake. Don’t worry about the calling Tobias thing. I’m not upset. If I was in your shoes I would have done the same thing. Good job, Mundo.”  
  
Elijah sighed and nodded, then got up and left leaving Tony to his files.  
  
“This is gonna suck,” Tony muttered, then decided to start his review from the beginning with a thorough look into Jason Gideon himself as if he had no idea who the man was.

  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

  
  
Tony was sitting in the conference room assigned to his team clicking through the information that Raven and Chin had gathered, while also debating in his head if he wanted to go back and take some more advanced computer classes. The more he watched Chin and Raven, the more he wanted to increase what he already knew.  
  
Despite what he’d always let McGee believe he wasn’t quite the hunt and pecker that he presented. However, he certainly wasn’t advanced enough to understand half the things they said, and it was like a thorn in his paw that Elijah kept having to explain things to him. He kept having flashbacks to himself and Gibbs. An outdated dinosaur was the last thing that he wanted to be.  
  
Maybe he’d take some online or night classes. Things he could do in his own time or at his own pace. It was definitely something that he was going to research and discuss with Aaron. Just not that day.  
  
He was sitting at a large oval shaped table. He’d ordered one big enough to hold his team as well as another the size of the BAU. Several spots on the table had computer ports where people could hook up either tablets, laptops, or plug in USB devices if needed. There were several floating keyboards that could be passed around the table. The walls around the room were covered with monitors and screens, so that information could be shared and researched directly from the room.  
  
He asked McGee to help him design this room wanting something more technical than the normal conference room. His Probie had gone for something like the NCIS LA OSP team’s MTAC room, and Tony found that he was glad he’d let himself be talked into such a technologically advanced room. There were a couple TV monitors that were tuned to ZNN so that they could keep an eye on any breaking events, should they be case related. The room could be locked down like Vance’s office back at NCIS, and there were no windows so that there was zero chance of them being observed.  
  
The lockdown mode included signal jammers that would prevent any cellular signal from getting out, thus the need for terminal hookup ports. It also required retinal, handprint, and voice print simultaneous access when lockdown mode was engaged. After this fiasco with Gideon had been exposed, Director Skinner came to him and advised that any security changes he wanted to be made with his team would be allowed. Tony appreciated the thought and had immediately set Chin and Raven loose on their files. He’d also advised them to do what they needed to make sure the team was secure in every way within the building.  
  
Elijah was designing their own weapons locker on the floor. Skinner was moving some other teams to other levels so that his team would have this floor all to themselves. This would allow their them to be completely locked down from the rest of the building. There was some talk that if once they were done, if the improvements worked, of moving the BAU team down, and then replicating some of the measures for some other floors in the building.  
  
Tony was fine with the BAU moving down. Quite frankly he thought that team was way too open to general traffic. They’d already had their floor compromised at least once that Aaron had informed him of.  
  
He’d also already suggested to the Director that he felt his own team needed to be bigger. He needed at least one more veteran undercover operative, and one more veteran investigator beyond the spot he was currently trying to fill with a female undercover operative.  
  
He was promised that if he could show justification for the spots, then they’d let him have the people. So, he planned on sitting down with Tobias and Aaron at some point to get ideas about how to go about this. It was this side of the management position that he had no clue about.  
  
Loading Jason Gideon’s picture onto the monitor in front of him, Tony sat back in his chair and studied it thinking about all of the information that he’d found out. He’d discovered some interesting cases that may have pre-shadowed their current case. Unfortunately, each event had been spaced so far apart that there literally was no way that someone could have predicted this would happen unless they did what Tony had, and dug through every single second of Jason’s life. He found the advantage of having someone like Raven on board. She tended to seek out information and paths that Chin simply never considered because of her former Black Hat history.  
  
He was turning over in his head if there was any way to track these types of incidents without completely invading an agent’s privacy when he heard the door lock disengage as Elijah came in with their visitors following. Because they’d already had one breach in security with the case, he hadn’t been willing to take chances. So, the room had been on lockdown, which meant only himself, Elijah, Section Chief Cruz, and Director Skinner had access to the room.  
  
Anyone else would have to be let in by one of the four of them. He wished he had a double door access like MTAC did and placed it on his wish list for future upgrades. If he had his way, this room would literally become the most secure place in the building.  
  
Nodding to their guests, he got up and got seven bottles of water out of the refrigerator in the corner. Coming back to the table, he handed them out, before sitting back down in the seat he’d been in previously and locking down the screen he’d been working on to hide the information. In the meeting were not only himself and Elijah, but also Aaron, Derek as his Second in Command, Tobias who was still Tony’s direct Unit Chief, and Section Chief Cruz who was over all of them.  
  
Personally and professionally both, Tony was on the fence. He could understand their position, but allowing the BAU in as a whole would create a conflict of interest nightmare. Not only that, but Rossi had more than proven that he was completely unable to be either professional or impartial in this instance. It would be the next test to see if his personal relationship with Aaron could withstand professional friction with Unit Chief Hotchner.  
  
“Gentlemen,” Tony greeted opening his bottle and taking a sip.  
  
“Man, Baby Girl would love this room,” Derek offered, smiling before a flash of pain crossed his face and it became blank. He saw Aaron offer the man a sympathetic smile and felt his own pang of sympathy. Betrayal of any kind sucked. To combine a trusted co-worker with your best friend though had to be rough.  
  
“I think they’ve done an amazing job designing this room. If it works out, we’re considering adding a couple more to the floors with teams that have regular access to more highly classified or highly sensitive material. Let’s talk about the case. Tony, I see you have things set up for us.”  
  
Tony nodded as Elijah placed a keyboard in between Aaron and Derek, and one in front of Tobias and Mateo each before resuming his seat next to Tony where he already had his tablet hooked up to the port. “You can log in with your FBI access codes to view information on your secure folders from here if you need. You can also do pretty much anything you could from your desk in here. Once you login you’ll see your personal ID code flash on a monitor and that one will be the one assigned to you. Right now I have three of the monitors set up to mirror mine so that I can share the information with you should it be agreed that it’s needed. The monitor assigned will be one of the others currently black.”  
  
Taking a deep breath Tony tried to organize his thoughts before diving in. “I’ll be honest. This case is huge, messy, and complete chaos at the moment. I know that the BAU wants in on it, but I have several concerns about that.”  
  
“The BAU knows Jason better than anyone in this building,” Hotch stated eyeing him intently. “It would be unwise to not accept assistance from people that know him.”  
  
Nodding, Tony was glad he had Agent in Charge DiNozzo firmly in place and was thankful that Aaron was nowhere present in the man across the table from him. “I’m not saying that I am against the idea, but I have a very short list of people from the team that I am willing to accept. This case is mine, and I will not allow it to be corrupted by personal feelings. I think the last thing any of us wants, should this get to the courts, is for it to be tossed out by some judge because of conflict of interest issues. I will be upfront that David Rossi is not under any circumstances getting anywhere near this case. His presence is an absolute deal breaker.”  
  
Aaron nodded, but it was Cruz who spoke. “I agree, and that won’t be an issue anyway. SSA Rossi is taking a couple weeks of personal time to get himself settled and assist his… significant other with her legal issues. It was made clear to him in his meeting with AD Evans and Director Skinner that once he did return, he was not to come anywhere near this case. Should he violate that order, he will find himself no longer employed by the agency.”  
  
Derek snorted, and Tony saw Hotch shoot him a glare of warning. He himself had definite thoughts about the whole Rossi & Penelope situation but wasn’t going to get involved. They hadn’t been caught before her firing, and now that she was no longer with the agency, it was a non-issue. He did understand though that it was just one more thing for SSA Morgan to be upset about as it just added another item to the list of things that his supposed best friend had hidden from him.  
  
“So, who exactly were you thinking of being willing to work with your team from the BAU, Tony?” Tobias asked, even though he knew the answer. Tony and Tobias had spent all night arguing over every team member and debating the pros and the cons of each person along with what they could bring to the case.  
  
“I would like Kate Callahan to assist us for start. She has an impressive record, and her reviews thus far with Aaron are exemplary. She also is the only team member that has had zero contact with Jason ever. So, we don’t have to worry about her profile being clouded by personal feelings.”  
  
Hotch and Cruz both nodded before Hotchner spoke. “I agree. Kate is a strong profiler and will be of great assistance to the case. Who else are you considering, Agent in Charge DiNozzo?”  
  
“My second selection would be Emily Prentiss. She had less than six months’ time working with Gideon before he quit. So, she’ll be familiar with him, but not overly sentimental about anything. She’s also worked with Ms. Garcia long enough that she will have some insight into her side of this fiasco. Lastly, her time with Interpol will give her some kind of familiarity to this type of case. She’ll understand that this won’t be solved quickly, and know how to pace herself.”  
  
Once again Cruz and Hotchner both nodded this time with Cruz speaking. “Agreed. Emily Prentiss will be the second representative from the BAU to assist your team. Who else are you willing to accept, AIC DiNozzo?”  
  
Taking a calming breath, Tony glanced at UC Hotchner and SSA Morgan before turning his attention to SC Cruz. “The last person I am willing to accept would be SSA Morgan, but his role would have to be closely monitored. His access to evidence would need to be limited. His access to information would need to be on a read-only basis. Any information he provides would need to be verbal and will need to be reported by either Agent Mundo or myself. Once we do catch, Jason Gideon, SSA Morgan absolutely will not be allowed to be involved in the arrest.”  
  
When Morgan exploded with anger, Tony just sat calmly and let the other man yell. He noted that Hotchner made no attempt to stop the ranting, and from the biting anger in his eyes, Tony could tell the UC was not happy. There was just no way that they could allow either UC Hotchner or SSA Dr. Reid to be a part of the case. It was the one thing that he and Tobias had agreed on immediately. The only thing they’d really had a heated argument about was Derek.  
  
Tony hadn’t wanted him to be part of the case either, but Tobias pointed out they needed someone with a better familiarity of Jason. He also pointed out that Hotchner held more than a little sway within the agency, and that there was no way he would allow himself, Dr. Reid and SSA Morgan to all be excluded from the case. So, Tony might as well pick one, and set whatever safety guards he needed.  
  
“Enough!” Tobias finally snapped, and Tony waited until things were quiet again to speak.  
  
“This wasn’t some off the top of my head decision. The options were all thoroughly debated with my Unit Chief. The pros and cons of each member of the Behavioral Analysis Unit team were gone over. There is simply no way that we can legally justify either Unit Chief Hotchner or SSA Dr. Reid’s involvement and not expect this all not to be thrown out of court. It took me all of five minutes to find out that Dr. Reid viewed Jason Gideon as his mentor. It took me all of 10 minutes in the lunchroom downstairs to find out that UC Hotchner viewed Jason as his best friend at one time.  
  
“To further that the restrictions for SSA Morgan weren’t something I just pulled out of thin air. We talked to the federal prosecutors and discussed what we could accept that would allow SSA Morgan to assist and this whole thing not be immediately thrown out by a judge. No touching any evidence gathered. No altering information gathered. He can voice opinions and give insight into former SSA Gideon. He cannot appear on anything that we’re going to use to put this sick twisted fucker behind bars, and the final say is mine.  
  
“Now, you can run around with your ass chapped from your panties being in a twist, SSA Morgan. Or, you can realize that this is about putting this fucker behind bars, and be thankful that we are doing what we can so that you can be involved. Either way, grow up. You’re SIC on your team. If this was some case that your team was working, and it was a LEO that was involved, you’d be irate if we allowed someone even as much access as we’re giving you to be involved. So, please try and pull your head out.”  
  
Tony just snorted when SSA Morgan glared at him. “Seriously, you’re gonna have to do better than that. Have none of you people ever watched the YouTube videos on Gibbs? You have two options, SSA Morgan. Accept what you’ve been offered, or stay the fuck off the case.”  
  
“Cruz,” SSA Morgan started to argue, but SC Cruz just held up a hand.  
  
“Enough, SSA Morgan. AIC DiNozzo is correct, and frankly has put up with enough bullshit from your team already.”  
  
When Morgan would have argued further, Aaron held up a hand, and the man stopped speaking automatically. “That’s enough, Derek. They’re right, and you know they’re right. You’re still getting to be involved. You don’t need to be at the crime scenes. You certainly don’t need to touch the evidence and are you really mad you can’t do paperwork? I have plenty to give you to do of my own if you are.”  
  
When Derek just huffed and rolled his eyes, Tony knew the worst of it was over. As much as he understood Derek’s position, he couldn’t help but think that if he ever really wanted to move up in the ranks, then he was going to need to get past his temper issues. The man was entirely too quick to anger to be promoted any higher than where he already was.  
  
“Good, since we have that settled, let’s wrap this up. DiNozzo, I want you to get the full team working this case together ASAP. Aaron, you need to select a temporary Technical Analyst so that we can get your team back to at least doing consults. We’ll hold off on sending you out into the field for a bit. Team 2 can take anything that comes in.”  
  
Tobias cleared his throat. “I actually was thinking about the BAU’s TA issue, and I have an idea. Tim McGee is still sitting around doing basically nothing. There have been some unexpected delays with getting his new team formed. I spoke to him this morning, and he’d be more than happy to assist the BAU team.”  
  
“Can he handle our cases?” Aaron questioned frowning. “I know he came from the Major Crime team at NCIS, but I don’t believe they regularly handled the types of cases that we do.”  
  
“If I may?” Tony requested feeling like he should speak up for his probie. He wanted to wait for Unit Chief Hotchner to accept his offered opinion before continuing. So, he remained quiet until Hotch nodded his acceptance.  
  
“I trained Tim. I know that it seems like he wouldn’t be suited for the spot, but having worked with him I can honestly say there is no reason why he can’t be an asset. I know you are used to a different style of analyst, but to be frank… the chances of you finding another hacker to take Garcia’s spot are slim. Most of the TA’s in the pool are closer to Tim’s background than Raven or Garcia’s. Trust me I just went through them all trying to form my team. McGee might be the perfect person to get you from TA Garcia to whomever your next full-time TA will be.  
  
“I can say from personal experience that if you give Tim a starting point then he’ll run with it from there. Not only that but with his investigative experience, he may be able to see avenues that could be explored that you hadn’t considered. Tobias can speak to Tim’s willingness to hack whatever he needs to in order to find answers.”  
  
UC Fornell just snorted. “Oh, trust me. McGee is more than happy to hack at whatever he needs to. Kid was always in our goddamned systems when he was with NCIS. I wouldn’t recommend him if I didn’t think he wouldn’t be willing to do whatever you need, Aaron.”  
  
Tony smiled and had a burst of inspiration offering an olive branch. “I’d also be willing to let him assist with the Gideon case, which would give you another member of the BAU working the case. I don’t really want to devote both Chin and Raven to it full time, and I think that whichever one I assign to this will need an assistant. Tim would be perfect for that role.”  
  
When UC Hotchner just sat quietly studying him, Tony remained quiet and allowed the man to go through his thought process.  
  
“Send me his file so that I can look it over. Unless something glaring jumps out at me though, I will most likely accept your offer. AIC DiNozzo, thank you for your opinion. I know you are more familiar with TA McGee than the rest of us.”  
  
Tony tilted his head to one side with a smile, accepting the olive branch offered back to him. “It was my pleasure, Unit Chief Hotchner.  
  
When Section Chief Cruz stood, the meeting was effectively signaled to be over. “Great work people. I know that this is hard for everyone involved. The AD, Director and I have nothing but confidence though in everyone involved.”  
  
When everyone else filed out, Tony sat back down and started going over the information. Elijah would get everyone together and into the conference room. He might as well go over everything one more time.


	22. Date Night & A Shovel Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron decides that he and Tony need some time together after everything that has happened recently. A date night seems to be the perfect fix. Then, someone else decides to try the shovel talk with Tony. Hopefully, this time it will have better results.

Banner By Rivermoon1970

 

##  **Chapter Twenty Two:** _Date Night & A Shovel Talk_

 

The next evening, Aaron stepped up to Tony’s office and watched him through the open doorway. Things had been both busy and stressful for them both. He’d decided that the two of them needed a break. When Anderson came to his office and offered the tickets, Aaron jumped at the chance.  
  
Anderson was dating one of the agents on one of the other BAU teams. When Martin’s team was called out of town, they knew they wouldn’t be able to use the tickets. His partner suggested Aaron and Tony. Aaron smiled remembering Anderson telling him how Tony had helped them close a case after nothing more than overhearing a conversation in the elevator. Then when he’d gone to check out how things turned out, offered a pair of tickets to a Museum Opening he wouldn’t be able to use. Grant said that he’d been wanting to see the exhibit because ancient Egyptian archeology was kind of a hobby of his, but he never imagined that he’d be able to get into the private opening.  
  
“What are you smiling at, Unit Chief Hotchner?”  
  
Coming back to the present, Aaron stepped into the office as he smiled at his boyfriend. “I was just thinking about how amazing you are. Are you almost done? We need to leave soon.”  
  
Tony blushed looking confused as he glanced at the calendar on his phone. “I can be done whenever. I am just getting some reports started for things I will need on a regular basis. That way it’ll be quicker to do them once I need them. Did I forget something?”  
  
“Nope,” was all Aaron offered as he smiled mysteriously.  
  
“We should leave soon.”  
  
Tony arched an eyebrow but nodded before shutting his computer down. After gathering what he needed to take him, the AIC headed out locking the door behind them. He watched as Tony stopped in Elijah’s office to check in before leaving, and then the two of them headed out.  
  
About an hour later, the two pulled up to a local dinner theater, parking around back. When he looked over to his passenger, Tony was smiling bright enough to light up all of Los Angeles.  
  
“You got tickets to Witness for the Prosecution!”  
  
Aaron grinned nodding. “Kind of. Anderson offered them because Martin’s team got called out of town. I wasn’t sure if you liked the theater, but I was hoping. Maybe if we like it, then we can get a membership to share?”  
  
Tony nodded quickly before he leaned across the divide. Aaron happily accepted the exuberant kiss.  
  
“I love the theater,” Tony confirmed happily. “Mom even took me to a handful of plays on Broadway before she died. Saw Phantom of the Opera and a few others.”  
  
From the happy grin on his face, Aaron could tell that it was one of the few pleasant memories of his childhood, and was glad that he’d accepted the offered tickets. The two men got out and headed around front to wait to be let in. The two stood slightly away from the others hanging around in the lobby. When Tony stepped up and wrapped an arm around his waist giving him another kiss, Aaron happily pulled the Italian close.  
  
“Thank you,” Tony said softly, and Aaron just nodded.  
  
“I am glad I could do it. I figured after the last few weeks that we needed some time to ourselves. I can’t tell you how much it means to me to have a partner who understands my job and the time that I need to devote to it.”  
  
Tony shrugged and Aaron saw him raise a hand before he felt a finger run up and down his cheek. “I understand completely. Believe me. I’ve had more than one date get irate because a case came up or something else work related. And, those were just casual dates. In my humble opinion, it’s not about the amount of time you spend together, but what you do with the time you do have to be together.”  
  
Aaron could see a contemplative frown cross Tony’s face, and let him be. He could tell the man was turning something over in his head.  
  
“I suppose that someday, if this keeps working out, that maybe we’ll be old and retired and can spend all of our time together. Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t plan on doing that anytime soon. While I am hoping that we can spend at least one week of non-holiday vacation time together somewhere wet and hot and sandy, it’s not a deal breaker if we can’t. All I want is for you to be there when you can, and communicate as best as you can when you can’t.  
  
“I get the feeling that Haley was not so nice about your work, and I’m sorry about that because you deserved better. Regardless of when you started with the FBI, being a lawyer, especially a Federal Prosecutor, isn’t exactly regular 9 to 5 hours. So, I don’t honestly understand what she could have been expecting.  
  
“I’m not trying to bash her because I don’t know her. I just… you deserved better. I plan and hope to be able to give you better. I just… this means a lot to me as well, Aaron. This thing between us combined with the awesome new team I have is honestly everything in my world right now. So, I will accept your thanks, and give it back for giving me something I can believe in, again.”  
  
Sighing happily, Aaron pulled Tony in for another kiss as they announced seating was taking place. Briefly, he took a moment to rest his forehead against the other man’s to take a second to revel in their closeness. Breathing in the Italian’s scent, he let himself feel how right it felt to be together like that standing in public, and not caring who saw them. He was a damned lucky man, and he prayed that he never forgot it.

  
  
  
  
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Tony wandered up to the BAU to see if Aaron wanted to do lunch, only to be disappointed when he found out the man was in a meeting. He was standing outside of Aaron’s door, holding the deli bag, and trying to decide what to do when he heard someone call to him from behind him.  
  
  
“What’s up, QB1? Hotch is in a budget meeting.” Turning, Tony smiled seeing Derek walking toward him from his office.  
  
“How do you feel about pastrami on rye and lintel let soup?”  
  
Derek just shrugged indifferently and then smiled. “My mamma didn’t raise no fool. I never turn down free food, man. We can eat in my office if you want. There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about anyway.”  
  
Feeling slightly nervous suddenly, Tony nodded and followed the man back the way he’d come. When they reached the office, and Derek closed the door behind them, his nerves increased.  
  
“I know that Rossi already had this talk with you,” Derek said, as he moved around to sit behind his desk. Tony sat in a chair in front, as he frowned remembering the fiasco that was the elder profilers attempt at the shovel talk.  
  
“I also know that he was at jackass about it,” Derek admitted, and Tony just watched the man blankly trying not to jump to conclusions. “I’m not here to tell you that you’re not good enough, or any of that shit Rossi tried to pull. I just want to make sure you know that we see how happy you make Hotch. We all want that to continue.”  
  
Tony nodded listening, as he distributed the food.  
  
“No relationship is perfect, and sometimes shit just falls apart. I get that. However, if you hurt him on purpose, then you and I are gonna have a problem. Deal?”  
  
Tony nodded smiling faintly. This talk he had no issues with. Aaron deserved people who would give this kind of a shovel talk.  
  
“I know what my reputation is,” Tony started speaking quietly. “What people don’t know is that I’d been in what I assumed was a relationship for several years with someone that I thought was on the same page as I was. Turns out that I was the only one who had to follow the no dating other people rule.”  
  
Tony spent a few moments on eating, and let the hurt ease before he continued. “I’m not gonna sing you a sob song, but I haven’t had the best luck with people wanting to stick around. My mom died when I was a kid, and my dad was only interested in the next big deal. If he did notice me it never turned out well for me in the end. So, yeah, I’ve been hesitant to trust.  
  
“I care for Aaron though. We were honest with each other up front. Frankly, this is the first time I’ve dated someone where it feels like he actually sees Tony and not just the clown everyone wants. Until they don’t anymore that is. I know you don’t know me, but I’d never play that kind of games with someone. You have my word of honor.”  
  
“That’s all I wanted to hear, QB1. Now, did you hear your Probie and my pretty Boy have a thang goin’ on?”  
  
  
Feeling relieved that it went so smoothly, Tony leaned back in his chair, with one-half of his sandwich in one hand. Grinning big, he took a bite as he turned over the new information in his head.  
  
“So McGeek and Doc are dating. Who made the first move? Has the first date happened yet? McHeartthrob is going to get so much shit from me for not revealing this information. Spill, Morgan. I need all the details.”  
  
Derek laughed as he took a bite of his sandwich, and then nodded appreciatively. “This isn’t too bad. I do believe that it was your Probie who asked Pretty Boy out. I believe they went out for coffee at this place that has live Jazz, and on Wednesdays does Trivia contests. Apparently, it was Star Wars night, and the two of them cleaned house. They have a second date scheduled for this weekend, cases permitting. I think Pretty Boy is considering taking him to the Smithsonian, but he wasn’t sure if he’d like that.”  
  
Tony snorted finishing off his sandwich half and picked up his soup. “Are you kidding me? I don’t call him McGeek for nothing. The only thing better than that would be one of those video game conventions. Elf Lord would probably squeal with enthusiasm.”  
  
Derek laughed and threw a packet of crackers at Tony. “Hey, now. Video games are cool. I play Call of Duty and Gears of War sometimes.”  
  
Tony smirked and shook his head. “My guess is you’ve never named yourself Elf Lord. Seriously though, as long as they’re happy then I’m all for it. I am glad that Tim got out of NCIS. The change seems to have snapped him back to reality.”  
  
Derek nodded growing serious. “He told us how he hadn’t been a very good teammate at the end of his NCIS tenure but was working on it. I think that spending time with Reid will help. I may give him shit, but he’s probably the most down to earth genius that I’ve ever met. He’s not one for shoving his intelligence in your face, or throwing around his degrees unless he has to.”  
  
“That’s good to hear. Things aren’t completely smoothed out between McArrogant and me. But, it would nice to get back to where we were. At one time I thought of him almost as a brother, but then he let Ziva fill his head with nonsense, and got a big head over his Deep Six bullshit that changed.”  
  
“Yeah, he told us about that, too. I think Rossi is mentoring him there, and I overheard him saying that he was starting a new series with new characters. He admitted that he might have come too close to crossing a line.”  
  
Tony snorted but waved a hand in the air not wanting to get into his Probie’s writing nonsense. “I’ll believe it when I see it, and I will pass on my judgment of how helpful SSA Rossi will be.”  
  
Derek winced, and Tony wondered if he was remembering the current situation with the older Italian. “Man, I don’t know what to tell you there. Hopefully, he’ll pull his head out of his ass soon. None of this shit is y'alls faults. I am hoping he comes back from his so-called vacation with a better attitude.”  
  
A knock was heard on the door, just as the two were finishing eating, and Emily poked her head in. “Sorry to interrupt. Derek, I just wondered if you were still on for helping me with that consult. They’ve called me again.”  
  
“That sounds like it’s my signal to leave. SSA Morgan, thank you for having lunch with me. I will keep your words in mind. Madame Prentiss, it is nice to see you. You are looking quite lovely and badass today. I have minions to go corral. Heaven only knows what they’ve gotten into while I have been gone.”  
  
As Tony left he could hear Emily asking Morgan about their lunch meeting.  
  
“How did the shovel talk go?”  
  
“Just fine, Em. I think things will be just fine.”


	23. A Recommendation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony has been struggling to find the last member of his team. Just when he thinks he's going to have to settle for someone less than what he wants, he gets a recommendation from an unlikely source.

##  **Chapter Twenty Three: A Recommendation**

 

 

  
  
  
Tony was sitting in his office reviewing the files of female FBI agents who could maybe possibly be suitable for the team. Unfortunately, none of them were really interesting him. He desperately needed something to come up before he was forced to pick someone that he didn’t really want.  
  
Just as he was about to start reviewing the pile again, he heard a knock on his door. Looking up, he was surprised to see Dr. Reid standing there with a file in his hand looking somewhat nervous. When the genius waved to him, Tony immediately motioned him in.  
  
“Dr. Reid! This is a pleasant surprise. How can I help you? Did you find something on the case?”  
  
Shaking his head, Spencer perched on the front edge of one of the chairs in front of Tony’s desk. The AIC couldn’t help but wonder if he was getting ready to take flight. He didn’t think he was all that intimidating. He supposed though that considering Spencer only knew him from the Gideon and Garcia fiasco though, maybe he did come off that way.  
  
“Actually, I am here to help you. It’s not related to the case though.” When Spencer paused and frowned not continuing, Tony felt some guilt set in.  
  
“I’m sorry,” he offered softly.  
  
“I know that you were especially close to Jason. I haven’t been in your exact situation, but unfortunately, I do know what it’s like to have someone you trust go bad. Even if you aren’t close to them, it’s hard to get past that kind of betrayal. I can only imagine what you must be feeling.”  
  
“Hotch said you’d had a similar experience?” Reid asked softly.  
  
Tony leaned back in his chair sighing and nodded.  
  
“Twice actually. My partner at Baltimore PD Homicide turned out to be dirty. Before that, I worked for the FBI out of Philly doing undercover. It turned out my direct supervisor was on the take for the same people he’d assigned me to investigate. He was apparently hoping that I would get killed, and the FBI would back off.”  
  
Spencer’s frown deepened as he looked up at Tony. “It doesn’t work that way. If you had died the FBI would only have gone after then all that much harder. How did he…” Spencer stopped and shook his head.  
  
Tony smiled sadly at the genius. “Sometimes you can’t predict things like that. Good people go bad. Sane people flip their shit and go crazy.  
  
“This job isn’t meant for everyone. It’s non-stop dealing with the worst of society. It’s dealing every day with people going through their absolute worst moment. People find themselves in situations they never expected picking options they wouldn’t have otherwise. Some people can’t handle temptation, and others can’t come back from tragedy they had a hand in. It’s not your fault, Dr. Reid. Just like it wasn’t my fault a partner and a boss went bad.”  
  
“I didn’t say…” Reid started then stopped biting his lip, and Tony cocked his head to one side.  
  
“You didn’t have to. I am a master at taking on the guilt of the world, Doc. I am the king of ‘Maybe if I had just’ land. It’s hard. I know. Trust me, Doc, I know. The thing is you can’t take Gideon’s actions on yourself. It isn’t your fault that something broke inside of his head that caused him to go after perfectly innocent human beings because of some twisted sense of justice on his part. It isn’t Derek’s fault that Garcia allowed herself to be manipulated, even though she should have known better. It isn’t my fault that my partner and boss chose easy money over true justice.  
  
“We can only play the cards we were dealt. Neither one of us were given the card for predicting the future. How are things going with McGee?”  
  
When Spencer blushed, Tony arched an eyebrow then grinned. “I meant in regards to his temporary position as the BAU Analyst while his team is filled out. Although if you want to give me all of the juicy details about your date, I am all for that, too, Doc.”  
  
Spencer huffs and tries to hide his embarrassment behind indignation. “You are aware that I am not a medical doctor, correct?”  
  
Tony just grinned bigger at the subject change. “I am aware. Your doctorates are in Chemistry, Mathematics, and Engineering. That doesn’t make them any less valuable or impressive, Doc, but you are trying to change the subject on me. It sounds like things went well. I am more than willing to listen to any details you would like to share.”  
  
Spencer scowled at the man and stretched his arm out holding the folder out to Tony. “You’re as bad as Derek. I can’t believe that the FBI would hire two of you. I am not giving you details on my date, but if you must know it did go well. I think.”  
  
Chuckling, Tony took the folder and nodded. “Good! Make sure you keep McRomance on his toes. What am I looking at?”  
  
Spencer wrinkled his nose at the nickname but chose to ignore it. Tim had already told him that he actually liked all the different ways that Tony found to mangle his last name.  
  
“I have a recommendation for your team. Tim told me that you were still looking for a female agent who could do undercover, and Aaron confirmed it for me. I wanted to give you a recommendation.”  
  
Tony nodded flipping through the file. “Tell me what you know about Ruby Miller.”  
  
Nodding quickly Spencer relaxed further, not remembering having scooted back in the chair. AIC DiNozzo wasn’t nearly as terrifying as he expected him to be. Spencer just needed to make sure he didn’t get on the man’s bad side.  
  
“She is the wife of a man that I mentored for his Engineering Doctorate named Clay Miller. We kept in touch afterward and became friends. He comes from a family who owns a big name engineering company, but for personal reasons, he wasn’t willing to join them.  
  
“So, he started his own company Winchester Engineering and has become quite successful in his own right. I know his wife less well personally, but she seems to be an intelligent and capable person. She is a near genius with languages. The FBI wanted to put her into the translator division, but she wanted to do more than that. She’s been on a team who deals with foreign diplomats who get into trouble on US soil, but she wants to do more than that. She believes that she can do more than that.”  
  
Spencer fidgeted in his chair. “I will be upfront, and admit that Clay did come and ask for my help. That isn’t why I brought her to you though. I looked at her file, and asked both Tim and Hotch’s opinions before deciding to approach you.”  
  
“If she wants out of where she’s at so badly, why didn’t she put in her name herself? I would have considered her. Hell her language skills put her ahead of three-quarters of this stack.”  
  
Putting down the folder, Tony studied Spencer. “Why didn’t she put in for the spot?”  
  
Spencer scowls. “That’s why Clay came to me. She said that she tried multiple times, but that her application would never go through. Eventually, her boss came to her and told her that she might as well stop trying, because he wasn’t going to allow it. Apparently, he feels that she isn’t qualified to do anything more than translating, which is all that he lets her do on his team. He seems to think that because she is shorter and petite that she wouldn’t physically be capable. Forget the fact that she worked in Vice for Oakland PD before joining the FBI.”  
  
Tony arches an eyebrow. “What does he think we do? We aren’t gladiators. Besides that, it isn’t up to him to decide if she’s qualified. It’s up to me.”  
  
Scowling Tony picked up the folder again. “I will look into it, Spencer, I promise. Let me do some of my own legwork. I see you put her contact information in here.”  
  
The genius nodded and stood. Tony stood with him and followed him to the door. “Thank you for bringing this to me, Doc, and in all seriousness. McGee is a good guy. Be good to him back, ok?”  
  
Spencer nodded shyly and bit his lip then waved before leaving the office. Smiling and waving back, Tony shut his door and went back to his desk to start his own check.  
  
A few days later, Tony felt like he’d sufficiently torn apart her life, her husband’s life, and probably the hamster’s life with a little help from Chin. While researching his new prospective employee he’d run his normal courtesy check on her husband to make sure that there were no obvious skeletons that could cause a conflict of interest issue. That he’d done himself so as not to violate their privacy any more than needed. He’d found a very much unexpected connection between one Clay Miller formerly Morgan and Robert Brandt formerly Holmes formerly Morgan. He honestly was not sure how to handle the situation.  
  
Technically speaking both husbands were outside of his purview. If he was an asshole, if he ran his team like Gibbs, he’d just hire Ruby Miller. Then he’d sit back and watch the chaos as she and Will realized who their spouses were to each other. That wasn’t him though. He wasn’t that kind of a boss, and he didn’t want that kind of inner-fighting on the team that Gibbs had fostered and almost encouraged.  
  
Tony didn’t want that kind of team. Ohana, as Chin would say, was what he was going for. Family or something close to it was the feeling that he was after. Then there was the fact that he genuinely liked Robert, and he hated how his family turned their backs on him when he’d needed them the most. It was a pain that Tony truly understood.  
  
So, what did he do? Did he run the hire by Will and Robert? Did he insist on talking to Clay to get a feel for what his thoughts were on his uncle? Did he throw them all in a room and see how they cohabitated? That would be more difficult since Will wasn’t able to come to Quantico. He needed advice. This wasn’t going to get worked out on his own.  
  
Ten minutes later he found himself knocking on Fornell’s open door. Once Tobias gestured him in, he walked in and took a seat in front of the desk. Bouncing his leg Tony went over the information that he’d found in his head, as he waited for Tobias to finish speaking on the phone.  
  
He honestly didn’t know what he should do in this instance. He knew what he wanted to do, but he was pretty sure that there were some personal feelings involved there. Some of his natural need to fix things was bleeding into his decision. So, his only choice was to get an impartial opinion.  
  
When Tobias finally got done, Tony tossed the folder onto his desk and made a face. “I don’t know what to do.”  
  
Tobias arched an eyebrow and pulled the folder closer to him. “Hello to you, too, Agent in Charge DiNozzo. Yes, I’m fine. Thank you for asking.”  
  
Tony waved a hand in the air. “I don’t have time to be pleasant. I’m having a crisis.”  
  
Tobias snorted and opened the file. “What am I looking at?”  
  
“SSA Dr. Spencer Reid recommended her for my final spot. I want her for the team.”  
  
Tobias waited to hear the problem and scowled when nothing came. “And? If you want her, take her, DiNozzo. I know you’re aware you have the authorization to do so. What’s the deal?”  
  
Looking over at the open door, Tony stood and closed it before returning to his seat. “She doesn’t have as much undercover experience I wanted, although she does have some. It’s mostly limited to Vice work from her time with Oakland PD. Same with her investigative experience. She has some but again it’s limited to what she did with the PD. Her boss says she’s physically not capable of doing the job.”  
  
Tobias frowned and looked at the folder again. “I don’t understand Tony. If she doesn’t have as much investigative or undercover experience why do you want her on the team? As to the physical issue, does she have some disability?”  
  
Tony snorted and scowled. “She’s short and petite, and according to the moron who is her boss that prevents her from being able to do undercover work.”  
  
Tobias’ jaw dropped open, and quickly he flipped to the page that listed her current team’s details. “Oh, yeah he’s a dinosaur. I mean, he’s a bigger dinosaur than Gibbs is. I’m not worried about her height and weight. Tell me why you want someone who doesn’t have as much experience as you wanted to join your team.”  
  
“DiNozzo’s reason, or Tony’s?” The AIC asked and Tobias’ eyebrow arched higher.  
  
“Start with DiNozzo,” Tobias ordered. “We’ll discuss your personal reasons later.”  
  
Tony nodded and took a deep calming breath before continuing. “I think she’s getting a screw job on her current team just because she’s got some genius ability with languages. Just because she can speak like half the languages on the planet, doesn’t mean that she can’t be good at anything else. Her deductive reasoning scores at FLETC were off the chart. When I called her lead instructor, he told me that she could do anything we asked of her. She just needed to be given a chance.  
  
“According to her college applications, she was a black belt in three different forms of martial arts at that time. Who knows what more she’s done since then. She also took drama in high school and did community theater in college. The guy that ran the theater back then told me that she’s got natural talent. He said that his heart nearly broke when she told him she was going into the academy. She apparently was one of the few people that came through his doors whom he actually thought could have made it in Hollywood.”  
  
Frowning, Tony tapped his fingers on his knee that he’d crossed over his other leg. “Undercover work is about acting and masks basically, and it isn’t like she’s a complete novice to UC work. Sure there’s more to it than that, but if you can’t act, then you can’t do undercover work. Investigation is about following the clues, and her deductive reasoning scores are all I need to tell me she’ll have that covered.  
  
“I called Morgan, and he said that he’d be willing to work her out and give an unbiased opinion with Prentiss’ help. Elijah is going to get her to the gun range and see what she can do, and what she needs to improve in. For some reason, the fuckard she works with now won’t even let her carry.”  
  
“My team is made up of people who were told they couldn’t do it, weren’t good enough to do it, or hadn’t done it right. Seems to me like she’d fit right in.”  
  
Tobias snorted and had to admit the kid had a point. “Now tell me the personal shit that’s making you doubt all of that perfectly sound logic.”  
  
Tony ran a hand over the back of his neck nervously. “She’s basically Will’s cousin in law in law? Cousin in law’s wife? Cousin… Fuck, her husband is Robert’s oldest brother’s youngest son’s wife.”  
  
“Mailman’s poodle’s barber’s IT guy’s third cousin four times removed? What the fuck, DiNozzo! Can you try that in English?” Tobias scowled and threw a binder clip at his employee who snorted.  
  
“OK, but this doesn’t leave this office, Boss.” Only when Tobias rolled his eyes and held up his first two fingers pressed together saying ‘Scout’s Honor’, did he continue.  
  
“Jesus, you were a scout too, Boss? I didn’t know they were around in the Dark Ages. Anywho… So, Robert’s last name was not Holmes prior to marrying Will. Without giving you specific details, he got thrown out of the family because someone FUBAR’d, and his old man is an asshat. Coincidently Jason Gideon was involved in that FUBAR although not directly, but it was one of the reasons I don’t have Will working the Gideon case.  
  
“Robert’s older brother didn’t believe him when he said that he was innocent. From what one of my frat brothers told me, basically Clay, Ruby’s husband, found out the truth somehow, told the family to go fuck themselves including grandpa who was depending on him to take over the family company.  
  
“Clay then started his own company and met Ruby in college. Not in that order though. Robert doesn’t know Clay exists as far as I know. It seems to me that he deserves this kid in his life, but I don’t know how it would affect the team, or if it’s even allowed. I don’t know about the whole springing someone on Will that his husband doesn’t know exists.  
  
“Do I talk to Will and Robert before I hire her? Do I pull in Ruby, Clay, Will, and Robert and see what happens? Do I just say fuck it and let shit fall where it may? I just… my gut says she belongs on our team, Tobias. I don’t know what to do.”  
  
Tobias ran a hand over his eyes as he considered all of the possibilities. “The thing about this job, Tony, is it’s all about what you can justify. Have her meet with Morgan and Prentiss. Don’t have Elijah work her out, ask Hotch if he’ll do it. It gives you a little more objectiveness. Talk to Trent, and feel out the Robert thing.  
  
“Talk to Clay before you hire her. Find out for yourself what the kid wants. Don’t worry about her boss. I am gonna go feed him to the fuckin’ sharks, or better yet, I will feed him to AD Evans and let him deal with the moron. I know for a fact they’ve just been waiting on the SIC to be ready before they retire that fuckard.”  
  
“I’ll smooth the family relation thing out with Evans while I am in his office. I think it would be fine anyway, but the whole fact that they’ve technically never met, and we are discovering the connection is going to probably seal the deal in your favor. So, go see lover boy about the tests you need them to conduct, and leave me in peace to do your bidding.”  
  
An hour later, Tony was leaning against the doorjamb of Hotch’s office with a bag of Penn Station, and two lemonade’s watching the man do some paperwork. Their relationship was progressing. It might even be going more smoothly than Tony’s confidence, or lack thereof was comfortable with. It felt right. It felt like it was meant to be, which worried him even more.  
  
Somehow he’d gone from being played by Gibbs to finding Mr. Right in Aaron in only a matter of days. It shouldn’t be so easy. There was no way that they should already be slotting together so almost seamlessly. The thing was though that he didn’t want to change it. He didn’t want to stop or slow down what was happening. He didn’t want to be rational or cautious. He didn’t want to let that prick Gibbs change him like that.  
  
When it came to love, he’d always trusted his gut. He dated so much because he was always looking for the right feel. When he found someone that felt right like Wendy or Paula or even Jeanne he let himself commit to it. When he didn’t get that right feel in his gut he moved on. No one had ever felt more right in his gut that Aaron. He wasn’t going to allow one spectacular crash and burn to change that. Especially when he could after some time and distance see the mistakes he’d made with his former lover.  
  
The Jeanne affair left longer and deeper scars and wounds than he’d understood. Jenny’s death and his self-punishment for his failures that allowed it had added to those scars and wounds. Being exiled by the new director to a place of such isolation amongst thousands set him on a path of vulnerability that he’d been too hurt and proud to acknowledge. When someone that he’d held such respect and affection for, even though it was at the beginning more friendship than attraction, turned a romantic eye on him, he’d been helpless to do anything but fall.  
  
He’d deliberately ignored the doubts in his gut because his heart had been screaming ‘it’s Gibbs!’ If he’d been thinking clearly, the same argument was exactly why he should have questioned what was going on. But, he didn’t and the ending scorched everything but those two old, worn, and scarred roots. When he looked at the formerly blackened ground though he could see life coming back.  
  
Grass had grown back thanks to his reconnection to the FBI. Flowers were beginning to poke through the dirt thanks to Director Evans and Section Chief Cruz who had made their support of him quite clear and well known. It was something similar to the respect that he’d felt from Tom Morrow, and hadn’t felt since the man moved to Homeland. Maybe the most positive sign was the trunk growing back thanks to his team, new friends like Robert, and his relationship with the gorgeous and intense man in front of him.  
  
“Are you going to come in, Agent in Charge DiNozzo?”  
  
“Work lunch? I come with a work request and a bribe.”  
  
Aaron leaned back in his chair and smirked. “I am not easy to bribe, AIC DiNozzo.”  
  
“I got you two chocolate chunk cookies,” Tony replied knowingly and laughed when Hotch quickly stood.  
  
“We can go to the conference room,” the UC shot back blowing past him excited to get to his treat. Once they were inside with their sandwiches and fries spread out in front of them – Hotch being more than a little smug that he wasn’t the only one who had the cookies – Tony delved into the favor he needed.  
  
“Let’s get the favor out of the way. I don’t know if Morgan told you, but I need him and Prentiss to test out an agent’s physical capabilities for a spot my team. Her boss is trying to say she isn’t able to do the job because she’s short and petite.”  
  
Hotch stopped eating and scowled at his lover. “Who is this prick, and I hope you reported him to Fornell.”  
  
Tony nodded shoving fries into his mouth and finished chewing before answering. “A Graham Nelson? I don’t know him. Tobias said he’s a bigger throwback than Gibbs, which just… Jesus. Yes, I also reported the fucker. Toby’s gonna tell AD Evans so he can snack on the moron then fire him. I am telling you that part in confidence though.”  
  
Prentiss peeked her head into the room smiling. “You guys got room for Morgan and me? Or is this a date for two?”  
  
Hotch snorted and waved her in, and Tony laughed holding his hand out to her. “It’s nice to get to know you outside of the case. I’ve heard interesting things about you, Emily Prentiss.”  
  
Emily grinned big as Morgan settled down next to her giving Tony a fist pump on his way past. “My reputation precedes me, huh?” She joked, and Tony laughed again.  
  
“I heard all about you, Emily Prentiss,” he teased, and she laughed herself.  
  
“Morgan wrote my number on the bathroom wall with ‘For a good time call…’ next to it, again, didn’t he?” She quipped, and Tony was a little afraid he was gonna suffocate he laughed so hard.  
  
“You, Emily Prentiss, are a keeper. You ever get tired of the BAU, I am happy to have you with EU&IU.”  
  
“Hey! No recruiting my people, DiNozzo,” Hotch mock growled, and Tony grinned making a face at him.  
  
“Ah, ah, ah UC Hotchner, I have a free pass to pillage and plunder from wherever I’d like remember.” Tony reminded, and laughed as Aaron threw fries at his head.  
  
When the all finally calmed down, Derek just shook his head at Tony pointing at him with a big grin on his face. “Man, DiNozzo, you are one crazy motherfucker.”  
  
Tony shrugged happily and dug back into his sandwich. “Sanity is overrated.”  
  
“Tony was just asking permission to use you two to test his potential recruit,” Aaron explained, and Tony nodded.  
  
“Not just them though, Hotch. I’m hoping you’ll agree to test her on a variety of guns, as well. There isn’t much in her background, but her file says that she grew up on a horse ranch in Idaho. Technically speaking, I only need her to be proficient with her service weapon, but if she is even passingly capable with say… a sniper rifle… it would give me, even more, reason to ignore her weak points. Considering her weak points are only ya know Undercover and Investigation… I need all the help I can get.”  
  
Aaron paused with his sub halfway to his mouth. “You… why do you want to hire someone without experience in the two most important aspects of your job?”  
  
“Well,” Tony started taking a drink of his lemonade. “She has some experience, but just not as much as I would prefer. Mostly because of her boss. She has a Reid level genius with languages but doesn’t want to be stuck translating for the rest of her life. I know what it’s like to be stuck with people who aren’t willing to see your potential.”  
  
“Aah,” Hotch replied, and Tony frowned.  
  
“Aah?” He repeated, and Derek snorted.  
  
“She’s another of your Misfit Toy’s, QB1,” Derek explained, and Tony blushed, but shrugged not in the least offended.  
  
“Yeah, I suppose that she is. Us Misfits need to stick together, man.”  
  
“Here, here!” Emily cried out holding up her soda, and Tony grinned tapping his glass into hers.  
  
“Here’s to the misfits! I mean, shit, they saved Christmas after all.”  
  
The room broke up into laughter again, and somewhere in the back of Tony’s mind, he remembered what friendship and belonging were.  
  



	24. Covering All Bases

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony calls TK for advise on the Robert and Clay situation, and his cousin points out a fact he'd overlooked helping him in his decision. Then later he interviews Clay and Ruby for the last spot on the team.

Banner by Rivermoon1970

 

##  **Chapter Twenty Four:** _Covering All Bases_

Tony was in the kitchen turning over the steaks he had marinating. He had three bone in rib eyes in a gallon baggie with a bottle of Dale’s Low Sodium Marinade in it. He had about ten more minutes before he was going to put them on the grill pan he had on the stove.

In the oven, he had the pan of cheesy hash brown casserole and a dish of green bean casserole. There were a couple loaves of frozen bread waiting to go in when they were done, so they had hot bread with their meal. He hadn’t felt like baking, so he’d picked up a cherry crumb pie on the way home, and a half gallon of ice cream.

Tobias was upstairs getting changed, and Tony was expecting Trent to walk in the door any second. Just as the thought went through his mind, he heard a knock on the front door. Before he could even twitch though, he heard it open and a distinctive British accent holler. “Honey, I’m home!”

Tony chuckled as he heard a thud upstairs. “In the kitchen, dear. I hope you’re in the mood for red meat.”

He felt his cousin’s presence before the man spoke, so he wasn’t startled when the man’s voice came from directly behind him. “Whenever am I not in the mood for red meat? As long as you aren’t using one of those bastard’s recipes for a marinade, then we’re fine.”

Tony snorted, and moved to the stove to drizzle some olive oil on the griddle, and put a couple pats of butter on top before turning the burners on. It would be hot about the time that the steaks were ready, and the dishes were scheduled to come out of the oven.

He nodded thanks when a bottle of water appeared next to his hand and didn’t turn around until the fond smile was gone from his face. His cousin was such a mother hen, and frankly, he didn’t know what he’d do if that ever changed.

“So, Pico, tell me what you’re fretting over. I know there’s something, and we might as well get it out of the way so that we all may enjoy our meal.”

Sighing, Tony picked up his water and turned to lean against the counter as he studied his cousin. The man had moved to straddle the chair he always took when they were in the kitchen together. Slowly he began to explain about Clay Miller and his relation to Robert explaining how he wasn’t sure what to do from there.

When Trent just stared at him looking confused at the end of the story, he wondered if he’d not explained something clearly. The question the man asked first made him sure he was right. “I’m not seeing your confusion, Tino.”

“What do you mean?” Tony asked frowning. “Robert…”

“Is you in this instance. I would think that of all humanity that it would be you who would understand best what would go through the man’s head when he finds out.”

Tony just blinked at the Brit and was glad when he continued without him having to speak. “Your pasts are remarkedly similar, Pico Tino. Surely, you have noticed this. Robert’s family abandoned him in the moment that he needed them the very most in his entire life. Your bastard father turned his back on you the second your mother died. Now, you have discovered that Robert has a relative who adores him, and has excused himself from the remainder of the family because of their unjust treatment of him. All you need to do is put yourself in his shoes, and ask yourself what you would want to be done. It really is not as complex as you are making it.”

Tony blinked at Trent once more then scowled. “Crap, how did I not see that?”

“Because you have a tendency to overthink things,” Trent replied honestly. “How would you feel, and what would you do if you were Robert?”

Tony took a drink of his water stalling for time before answering. Fortunately, the CIA agent let him get away with it. “I’d be reluctant to just take his word for it, but deep down I would want that connection badly. You’re right. Thank you, Cuz. I will schedule an appointment with Ruby and Clay Miller. Once I have assessed her competency as well as his intentions, I’ll talk to Robert.”

Turning back to the counter, he picked up the steaks and crossed to the sink to drain off the liquid. It was time he fed his advisor.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Tony was waiting at the elevators when Clay and Ruby Miller stepped off. At six four Clay towered over his much shorter five four wife. He liked though that she hadn’t tried to make up for it with heels. Sensible shoes and a smart, attractive outfit were worn for her interview. Smiling at the couple, Tony held out his hand in Ruby’s direction first, then shook Clay’s hand second.

“Ruby Miller,” Tony addressed smiling. “I am Agent in Charge DiNozzo. I lead the Elite Undercover and Investigative Unit here at Quantico. I appreciate you coming in for your interview and bringing your husband. I know it’s a little unusual. Mr. Miller, thank you for coming along. Your attendance is greatly appreciated.”

Clay nodded frowning slightly. Tony noticed the younger man looked down at his wife before turning his attention to him. “I’m happy to help, but I’ll be honest when I say that I don’t understand why I am needed.”

Tony nodded and turned to lead them to his office. Because their conference room was so secure, he’d had a small table placed in his personal office where he could meet with someone casually. Nodding to Elijah and Chin who were watching, Tony led the couple in and shut the door behind them. The blinds had been drawn earlier, and the team knew not to interrupt him.

“Some things came up, Mr. Miller, when I ran your background information that concerned me. I wanted to talk to you both about it before I made Ruby’s hiring official.”

“Please, Agent in Charge DiNozzo, it’s just Clay, and I don’t… you ran a background check on me? I don’t understand why. I’m not joining the FBI, and what could you have found that the Department of Justice didn’t during Winchester Engineering’s last review?”

Tony nodded, understanding the man’s confusion, and appreciated the calmness the man was displaying. “I honestly understand your confusion, and I have answers for you. With your patience though, I would like to start off with a few items for Ruby first, then if she agrees I will happily address your concerns. I know things need cleared up, but given that she is the prospective employee I would like to address her first.”

Quickly Clay nodded smiling. “Yes, please. There is literally nothing more important to me than my wife and my sons. I am more than happy to be patient while you two do… whatever it is you need to do.”

Tony turned his eyes to Ruby smiling gently. “Agent Miller, thank you for your flexibility. I promise that I would not have asked your husband here if there weren’t extenuating circumstances. Firstly, on behalf of Assistant Director Evans and Section Chief Cruz, I apologize for the… well, the bullshit you had to go through just to apply for the spot on my team. We in no way approve of our female agents being discriminated against because of well… for anything. Your physical stature has no bearing on whether or not you are qualified for the position, and I am glad that your husband took his concerns to Dr. Reid. I want to start off by assuring you that, unless something goes really horribly wrong, the final open spot on my team is yours.”

Tony saw the excitement in the woman’s eyes and smiled big. “Seriously, let that squeal out! You’ll find we’re not a terribly rigid bunch around here.”

Ruby immediately squealed and bounced a few times in her chair, before her husband pulled her in for a hug, which Tony was happy to see. He may have just met the two, but it was easy to see that the love he’d heard the two shared was true. Ruby would be the team’s second married agent, which as far as balance went, Tony thought was perfect. Their strong commitment to each other could only help her succeed, and he found it amusing that the only other married agent was Will.

“Now, I need you to do some things for me before we can make this official,” Tony prompted, as the two settled back in the chairs. Ruby just nodded enthusiastically.

“Anything! I just… I really want the chance to show I can do this.”

Tony nodded glad to hear the answer.

“Ok, then first off I need to test you in a couple of areas to show that what your hopefully former boss said about your suitability was bullshit. So, tomorrow you will be working out with two members of our BAU team doing hand to hand. SSA Morgan regularly teaches hand to hand here at Quantico, and one of his teammates Emily Prentiss has volunteered to be your sparring partner. I saw your black belts in your file, and we want to make sure you’ve kept up your skills.

“Then, once you are done with Derek, you’ll actually be working out with his boss. Unit Chief Hotchner is one of the best marksmen we have here, and he’s agreed to test you on a variety of weapons, including a sniper rifle if you are willing. Once I have their evaluations, we can move forward and make things official. That is as long as this next bit with your husband turns out ok. With your permission, I’m happy to answer his questions now.”

After Ruby nodded, Tony turned his attention to Clay, who was watching him earnestly. “Just tell me what you need, Agent in Charge DiNozzo. I don’t want to be the reason my wonderful wife doesn’t get this spot. She’s worked her butt off for this chance, and I know that she’ll kill it if she’s just given the chance.”

Tony had talked to a lot of bull shitters in his life and career. He’d talked to a lot of people who knew how to use pretty words to their advantage. However, he could sense nothing in Clay Miller but honesty and sincerity.

“To answer your question, Clay, and by the way please call me Tony, yes I ran a background check on you. Just a basic one initially, because all I really wanted to make sure was that you didn’t have bodies hidden somewhere or something else that could be a problem down the road. However, when I saw your family line I ran into an unexpected snag.”

Clay frowned and straightened. His face hardening slightly. “I really don’t understand how. I don’t associate with my family. How do they factor into this?”

Opening a file, Tony took out two confidentiality agreements and slid them across the table with two pens. “In order to answer that I need you two to please sign these. They basically say that everything said from here on forward about your family will remain confidential.”

Once the agreements were signed, and the two were holding hands both looking equally confused and concerned, Tony began his explanation. “This whole situation actually started off with my own family. When I was hired for this position, I was given free rein to hire anyone whom I would like from either within or outside of the FBI. I don’t communicate with my own family, Clay, any more than you do yours. My mother died when I was a child, and my father has hated me my whole life. The only person who ever really gave two shits about me is a cousin on my mother’s side, whom I call TK.

“You will meet him at some point because he is very protective and determined to make sure that every member of my team meets his approval,” Tony offered smiling fondly thinking about his cousin, and the advice he gave that led him to this meeting.

“TK works with another intelligence agency and had a co-worker that he was concerned with. He felt that he didn’t… fit in with the environment, and wanted a better place for him. That agent’s name is William Brandt, and he indeed became the first official member of my team. Now, Will is married to a man whom currently works as mostly an artist named Robert. When William and Robert got married Robert took his husband’s name so it is currently Brandt. However, prior to marriage, his last name was Holmes, a highly made up surname chosen because of his affection for the Arthur Conan Doyle character Sherlock Holmes. He was forced to take that name when a secret operation that he was on went belly up. He was taken hostage, and after being rescued, by Will coincidently, it was determined that it was not safe to go back to the world under his real name.

“At first he fought things, but when his family turned their backs on him, he willingly chose the last name Holmes, and made sure that his former relatives would never, ever be able to locate him. That former last name, his birth name, Clay, was Morgan. William Brandt’s husband Robert is your father’s older brother that you have been searching for.”

Leaning back in his chair, Tony quietly watched the emotion roll over Clay’s face. Relief, anger, excitement, and even grief flitted across his face before he covered it when his hands. Quickly Ruby stood, and moved to put her arms around his shoulders. Excusing himself for a moment, Tony got up and left the office to give them some privacy. 

Heading over to Elijah’s office, he was raiding the fridge his SFA had when he heard someone in the doorway. “I thought you had your own fridge, boss.”

Pulling out a bottled tea, and a Mt. Dew, Tony turned smiling and held them up to show Lijah. “I need these for the Millers’, but really I just needed an excuse to give them a moment together.”

“He not taking it well?” Elijah asked concerned, and Tony turned the question over in his head before shrugging.

“It’s a lot to take in, Lijah. He’s been looking for Robert since he left the family. Hell, Robert is the reason he did leave the family. I think I’d be emotional of my spouse’s’ new boss offered me up the thing I want the most in life beyond the health of my wife and babies.”

“Point,” the SFA acknowledged. Heading out of the office, Tony patted his shoulder before heading back inside of his own office and crossed to set the bottles on the table. He wasn’t surprised when Ruby took the tea, and Clay took the Mt. Dew.

“I’m sorry, Ag… Tony,” Clay started, but Tony just held up a hand to stop him.

“Please, no apologies. I can’t even imagine how I would respond if someone presented me with family who were decent humans being other than TK. I don’t mean to be insensitive or rush you, Clay, but I had Ruby bring you because I need to make sure of why you have been so diligently trying to find your uncle. Not only is he still basically hiding from the bastards who kidnapped him, but he and William are my friends. While I’m not saying that I think you have ill intentions, I need to know the truth.”

Clay shook his head fast as he wiped off his eye, and patted Ruby’s hand resting on the table. Once more taking her much smaller hand in one of his bigger paws, the man started speaking. “My grandfather is some piece of work. He comes off as this wonderfully caring person, but in the end, he’s just a judgmental prick. My father is often too scared about reputation, and what other people will think of the family, not to mention what grandfather will think of him, to stand up to him and really make waves. I have two older brothers who basically just keep their mouths shut, and avoid making waves with just about anyone. If things get too tense, they disappear for a while until things cool down, again. Which is all fine, but it always left me to deal with everything, and be the one always in father and grandfather’s eyes.

“I remember my Uncle Robert. I was about ten years old when my grandfather announced that from that moment forward he didn’t exist, and none of us were to speak his name again let alone see him. My father just stood there nodding like a fucking puppet! I was devastated. I loved my uncle. He was my hero. He was the one that always told me that it was ok to just be me. It was ok to be sensitive. It was ok to be shy. It was ok to view the world through my own eyes, and not everyone else’s. What made it worse was that they wouldn’t say why. One day he was a member of the family, and the next he wasn’t even a memory.”

Clay took a drink of his pop, before taking a deep breath and continuing. “The older I got, the harder it was to just accept that. Like I said, I was the one always left to have to deal with everything while my brothers, Richard and Rob, always just hide until it’s over. Because I was so smart, I was a few years ahead in school and got to college early. By then I was angry almost all of the time, and wouldn’t take ‘we’re not talking about it, Clay’ as an answer any longer.

“When I first got into college, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I was two years younger than everyone else. So, at first I just took a bunch of general classes, but kinda had my thoughts on being a lawyer. Growing up, there were always all these people around. Contacts of my grandfathers. One day, I saw that a law lecture was being given by Admiral A.J. Chegwidden who was a JAG lawyer. I remembered him as being someone who was kind to me at grandfathers’ parties and decided it would be interesting to go listen to. Afterward, I went to say hi, and he offered to take me out for dinner.

“He basically confirmed for me that I was right in believing that there was more to this thing with my uncle. He told me that the whole thing had been a misunderstanding, but that when they’d tried to get things straightened out, my grandfather and father refused to even listen to the truth. He told me that while he couldn’t tell me exactly what happened for confidentiality reasons, that my uncle wasn’t guilty of anything, but being a hero. When I heard that it basically was the metaphoric last straw. I cut most all ties with my family. I changed my last name to Miller after my mother and decided to go into engineering. My goal was, and always will be, to be a better engineer and better man than my grandfather.

“Last month, we stole a third government contract from him. He only has one left, and it will be mine. My brothers come around occasionally for dinner and such, but I would certainly not call us close. I know you don’t know me, Tony, but I swear on my life I just want my uncle back. I want Uncle Robert back, and I want to introduce him to Uncle Dean.”

“You’re Uncle Dean?” Tony asked frowning. He hadn’t seen anything that indicated Robert Morgan, Sr. had a third son in his research. Clay nodded frowning angrily and ran a hand through his hair before answering.

“Half-uncle I suppose, but he’s only like four years older than me. Grandfather apparently doesn’t want the world, and more specifically my grandmother, to know that he does more than look at the girls at the so-called ‘gentleman’s club’ that he attends. So, he’s hidden him pretty fucking well, and basically ruined Dean’s mother to make sure that he never came to light. We mostly met on accident. I mean, we knew each other at college prior to me talking to the Admiral, but A.J. clued me in on Dean’s real identity. Dean actually works for me as basically my right-hand man. He runs my R&D division officially and helped me come up with the name of the company. If it helps, he and I had our DNA tested in college, and have the official papers showing that he’s my uncle. I can show you a copy.”

Tony nodded carefully and considered his options. “I will have to confirm this, but as long as it checks out then it should be ok. I believe you, Clay. I’ve been doing this a long time, and frankly, it’s rare to meet such an open and earnest individual. I’m going to talk to Will and Robert and tell them what I have found out. Will was recently injured on a case, so they’re at his ranch. I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but I need you to be patient for a little while longer. This isn’t really a conversation I want to have with them over the phone, and it might be Thanksgiving before I can go see them. I think they deserve the same courtesy of a face to face conversation as I gave you both.”

Ruby and Clay looked at each other, and Ruby smiled before she answered for them. “I think that will be fine, Tony. We’ve waited this long. We can wait a little longer. Clay and I met when he was in college, so I feel like I’ve been waiting to meet this uncle forever myself. Does that mean I will have to stay at my old job until then?”

Quickly, Tony shook his head. “As soon as we find out you’re qualified you can begin. Worst case scenario we’ll find a new home for you if this Robert Clay thing is a huge issue. I’ll be perfectly honest though, and say that I really don’t anticipate that happening. So, go kick ass at those tests tomorrow, and show me what you have. Once the results are on my desk, I will call you in, this time just you I promise, and we will go over everything. In the meantime, I have to remind you two that mum's the word. No discussing anything we talked about with anyone including your Uncle Dean. I promise, Clay, that I will personally let you know once it’s ok to let him in on the secret. He may have to sign a confidentiality agreement too though, just so you’re prepared for that. Now, get outta here, and enjoy the rest of your day.”

The two stood. Ruby shook his hand, while Clay pulled him in for a hug, which drew a startled laugh from Tony, but he returned it nonetheless. Walking the two to the elevator, they chatted about the rest of the team, until it came to take them down to the ground floor. As he walked back to his office, Tony couldn’t help but hope that just maybe he’d found his friend some family worth having.

 


	25. Prelude to a Kill & A Heart to Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason Gideon is not done by a long shot, and eyes his next victim. Which agent's past case will be targeted this time? Then, the results are in from Ruby's various tests. We find out if she's qualified for the EU&IU.

Banner By Rivermoon1970

 

 

##  **Chapter Twenty Five:** _Prelude to a Kill & A Heart to Heart_

Jason Gideon stepped out of his car and looked at the outside of the building in front of him. The Traveling Hippy Café was owned by one Steven Carlson, the next person on his list. This was someone Aaron had let go free, however, his time escaping justice had ended.

Things were going to be harder now, but a part of him relished the challenge. He’d excelled in everything he’d ever done, and this would be no different. He was going to teach them all a lesson.

He wished he knew who was leading up the investigation. He hadn’t gotten that information out of that hacker chick before their connection had been terminated. He hadn’t been able to reach her and assumed that she’d gotten caught. Just as well. She’d escaped her own justice for far too long. He felt not an ounce of sympathy for misleading her. She was after all a criminal and should count herself lucky that she still lived. 

Maybe he’d add her to his list.

That would, after all, be the perfect message for his former team. That would tell them that not anyone would escape the Instrument of Justice.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

A few days after his interview with Ruby and Clay Miller, Tony was sitting in a back corner of a sports bar that he and Derek had found they liked. It was frequented by several of Tony’s LEO buddies and seemed to cater to the local and federal law enforcement community. He needed to have an open discussion about the results of Ruby Miller’s qualification. He’d considered doing it in one of their conference rooms, but Derek suggested Schmitty’s, and Tony jumped at the idea.

It would be nice to get out in a social setting. He’d been somewhat of a hermit other than his couple dates with Aaron, and he felt it. Tony was always at his best when he had an active social life. Most people assumed that it meant picking up chicks way too young for him in clubs, but frankly that hadn’t been the truth for several years before he met Aaron.

As he sat in the back corner waiting for everyone to arrive, he considered the fairy tale that was his life versus the reality. Dingy chicks, seedy bars, and drinking until he passed out were what everyone had believed. Truth be told though it was more like quiet nights behind the piano at his favorite jazz club during open mic night. Sitting for hours on a weekend at a local art museum staring at a picture trying to see every little nuance and brush stroke. Basketball games with underprivileged kids at an afterschool and weekend club one of his frat brothers ran. Sitting curled up on the couch watching a movie that he could recite every word to, but still held him fascinated in its grip right to the very end. Even Tobias had been a little surprised to find out what the DiNozzo social life was really like when he’d hit three weekends in a row on the couch on a Saturday evening. 

He’d like to take Spencer and Aaron to the jazz club where Aaron could play guitar, and Spencer piano. He’d like to take Derek, Elijah, Will, and Robert to the club to help with the kids. He’d like to show Aaron his favorite paintings and sit in front of the holding hands all day. He’d like to go watch Aaron run one of his triathlons with both teams there to watch. Maybe spread out throughout the course to cheer him on. He’d like to really be a part of these people’s lives and have them really be a part of his. The cookout was fun. The nights out with both teams were relaxing, but he wanted more. 

“What are you daydreaming about?” He heard whispered in his head, and startling turned his head to see Aaron grinning at him. The man had somehow slipped into the back bench seat of the long booth he’d selected without Tony realizing. He must have been more in his head than he’d realized.

“Come to the art museum with me tomorrow?” Tony asked quietly and without hesitating. When Aaron smiled puzzled but nodded his agreement. Tony bit his lip shyly but was quite pleased. Soon after that, the others joined them and the meeting soon began.

“So,” Elijah started sipping on his beer. “How did our potential recruit stand up to Madame Former Interpol?”

“She kicked my ass,” Emily drawled as Derek chuckled. “That chick is serious business. I’m not kidding. I am not pissing her off. I’m obviously not the expert, that is Derek’s position, but I’d guess she has continued to not just learn new martial art styles. She’s also learned how to combine them into a wickedly effective fighting style.”

Derek nodded seriously. “She knows her business, QB1. There ain’t nothing that she needs to learn from me. In fact, if you do hire her, I plan on talking her into helping me teach my classes. That girl is off the charts good, and it’s a waste, in my humble opinion, not to be using her talents to teach others.”

Tony nodded happily, feeling a small tight ball of worry in his stomach begin to relax. When Aaron spoke, it fully unraveled. “Sounds like she was a hit all around then. You definitely have your own team sniper. She passed all of her weapons testings with nearly perfect scores. In my opinion, there was no reason for her boss to hold her back from this position. She seems to be more than capable of holding her own. Did you do more research into her time with Vice?”

Elijah raised his hand. “That was my job. Her former CO had nothing but glowing remarks for her. Said that they lost one hell of an operative when she decided to go to FLETC, but that he had been behind her decision 100%. When he found out that we’d had her hiding doing only translation, he tore me a new asshole. It wasn’t until I informed him that I was with the team trying to get her into a position more suited to her skills that he calmed down and at least stopped cussing me out. He told me that if she hadn’t left, they would have moved her into their long-term undercover division.”

Tony nods and looks at Aaron. “They have officially fired Graham Nelson. They tried to move him to another division, but they couldn’t find another Section Chief willing to take him. Apparently, they all know what a dinosaur he is. In the end, they gave him a retirement package and told him it was either that or being fired. I guess he’s making noise about suing them for age discrimination, but Fornell assured me that it won’t fly. They have more than enough documentation from even before this fiasco with Ruby, and apparently, this isn’t the first gender discrimination complaint that’s been filed against him.”

Derek snorted shaking his head. “The man needed to be moved on years ago. Who knows what kind of good young talent the FBI has lost thanks to him. Better late than never, I suppose. So, sounds like you have a full team, at least for the moment. Did you get your proposal submitted, Tony?”

Tony nodded. “AD Evans said to give him a month or two, but it would most likely be approved. So, I’m gonna keep my eye out for people that fit in. Believe it or not, I think the investigator is going to be the biggest problem. I’ve been through the FBI applicants a thousand times, and there just isn’t anyone that I really just loved. I think that I’m gonna put out word through the DiNozzo Network that I’m looking for a seasoned investigator who has undercover experience, and see what turns up.”

“Seriously, I keep hearing about this DiNozzo Network,” Emily started sounding like she thought she was being had. “This isn’t real, is it?”

Aaron almost snorted beer out his nose and had to put the bottle down before he choked. Tony gave him a pat on his back, grinning before answering. “The DiNozzo Network is very real, my dear Emily. I will have you know we are an international organization and have better snitches than the mob.”

Derek let out a loud barking laugh and clinked beer bottles with Elijah, who was also laughing. “He’s not kidding, Emily. You should see it in work. A few days ago, another department needed a lead on a scene they couldn’t get anyone to talk about. Tony said he’d see what he could do, and two hours later three witnesses had come to talk to the lead investigator. Do not diss the DiNozzo Network. They believe in cement shoes.”

This time it was Tony who nearly spit out beer, and swallowed quickly before he choked. Then he joined in the laughter at the table. This was nice. Being able to talk shop with people he liked, and not feel like he had to justify his very existence and jump through hoops to prove every idea he had was a good one. In his head, he felt the book titled NCIS shut and moved to an archive where he kept things he didn’t need anymore. There wasn’t anything that he needed from inside of it any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only five chapters left!! It's hard to believe that the end is in sight for this story. That said... I do have plans for additional stories to this. So, not everything will be wrapped up in a neat bow at the end. Hopefully, you continue to enjoy this to the end!
> 
> On a different note... I have some other things in the works. Unfortunately, the musi are being stubborn, but I am close to completing my November Nano that I did on Rough Trade. For those that don't follow those challenges, it was the Tony/Sam fic called Apocalypse Reinvented I posted for my EAD. As a reminder, once I have it completed, it will be deleted from the EAD series. 
> 
> One of the things I am working on and excited about is a Tony crossover with the show Queer as Folk which would have a Tony/Brian/Justin pairing. I like doing pairings I don't see much, and this definitely qualifies. Plus I have such a thing for the Brian/Justin pairing. I also signed up for the Slow Burn Big Bang challenge. I will be doing a Tony/Steve McGarrett pairing and it's a 100K requirement. Fortunately for me (maybe unfortunately for you) it's a year long challenge and doesn't post until sometime in late 2018. But, I'm excited about it. I'm also pecking away at my Tony Bond fic, and ideas are forming for my 2017 NANO challenge on Rough Trade. 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading! You all blow me away with how many are reading this, and I am truly thankful.


	26. A New Case & Steve Carlson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The EU&IU gets their first investigative consult request. Then Jason uses his latest killing to leave a message for the BAU that he is not anywhere near done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case you didn't notice... I did add a warning for the murder scene in the second half of this fic. If you haven't figured it out, Gideon is quite unhinged, and is quite... creative with poor Steve's dead body.

Banner By Rivermoon1970

 

 

##  **Chapter Twenty Six:** _A New Case & Steve Carlson_

 

Tony was standing outside his office, leaning against the railing watching the team chatter with Ruby who had started with them the day before. With Jeremy at his ranch still recovering, and Chin devoting all of his time to working the computer end of Gideon’s case, they were running a little thin. So, the hiring couldn’t have started at a better time. It did though help prove to his bosses that they needed those other bodies on the team.

Spotting Tobias coming his way with a file folder, Tony turned his head to watch him not bothering to move. He noticed that Elijah at least had noticed their boss, and was also watching him.

“Happy Tuesday, DiNozzo. I hope you didn’t have anything planned today because I have another case for you.” Tony straightened and took the file before leading Tobias into his office where the two settled around his desk.

Once in his chair, Tony opened the file to read along as Tobias explained the request. “Case comes out of Newark, New Jersey area. One of our drug teams is working in conjunction with the PD there to chase a man named Stefano Magnani who is running drugs into Jersey out of New York. They’re at odds, basically, most of the two teams are on one side and the lead detective for Newark PD, a Detective Danny Williams, is on the other side. Most everyone agrees on a direction, except for him. The brass at Newark PD apparently aren’t willing to disregard the detective’s thoughts, and have requested a second opinion.”

Tony nodded leaning back in his chair as he studied the file, which fortunately included a breakdown of the divide as well as an FBI file on Detective Sergeant Daniel “Danny” Williams. It seemed Detective Williams was a newly single father to one daughter Grace. His ex-wife who had primary custody was killed in Honolulu in what appeared to be some kind of sanctioned hit.

It seemed as though the new husband got mixed up with the wrong people on the island, and the local yakuza was hot happy when he tried to renege on their deal. As a lesson, he and his new wife were shot in the back of their heads. The daughter had been locked in her room fortunately beforehand and hadn’t seen her mother’s dead body. Still, Tony knew it was a highly traumatic ordeal for the child. 

Looking through the detective’s file, he noticed the numerous commendations, as well as a notation about a classified undercover op with the Russian Mob also in conjunction with the FBI. The wheels in Tony’s mind were turning quickly. From the chuckle he heard on the other side of the desk, he guessed that his pseudo father knew what he was thinking.

“I have a feeling that Detective Williams would be highly poachable if we sweet talked him the right way. Especially since he’s not getting a whole lot of support from his own people, and from what I can gather from the file they sent, his position is probably a better avenue than theirs.”

Tony nodded frowning as he read through the case file again. “I see a whole lot of opportunity for someone to get murdered with this other plan. OK, I will send Elijah and Ruby. I don’t think that it needs two people, but it will be a good evaluation of her investigative skills. I’ll tell them to schmooze the good detective. Then I will see what I can do about working FLETC around his daughter’s summer vacation so that he can take her with him, but not have to pull her out of classes.”

Tony started jotting down notes on his pad about things he needed to do ahead of time for the detective. Lost in his own world, he didn’t hear Tobias laugh, or hear him leave him to his plotting. There was no doubt in the Agent in Charge’s mind that he would be adding the New Jersey native to his team. It was only a matter of time.

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

This was a masterpiece.

Stepping back, Jason surveyed his work and decided that he was very pleased with himself. This would surely send a message to his former team who had lost their path. This would remind them who the best was, and that Jason Gideon was not someone to be trifled with. 

Smiling at his artwork, Jason went over each part of the scene to ensure that he hadn’t missed anything. He had met Steven Carlson in The Traveling Hippy Café that the younger man owned and ran. They’d talked for several hours, and Jason dropped several hints that he enjoyed a good doobie. The younger man had been amused by such an old school term, but he’d cheerfully pointed out he was after all old school. The fool had foolishly invited him back to his apartment, and Jason had more than happily accepted.

Once inside it was a piece of cake. Jason offered up the first joint. One he’d made himself with a very special additive and offered Steven the first hit. Quickly he’d excused himself claiming he’d needed the restroom and stayed in there for 15 minutes. He thought that should be long enough for the younger man to be killed with the drug he’d added to the pot cigarette, and clear the smoke enough so he wouldn’t be affected.

Coming out, he’d been pleased to see he was right, and going through the man’s kitchen was pleased to find high-quality chef’s knives. It made his work so much easier to have a good quality instrument to use. Carefully he’d selected the filleting knife, and the moved to the stereo to put on the right music. As Pavarotti came from the speakers, he moved over to the body to get to work.

By the time he was done, Steven Carlson was spread eagle on the floor, he’d used the man’s blood to paint a picture of the hawk he’d been tattooing on the bodies onto the man’s cement floor. Then, once it dried, he moved the body so that the talons of the bird appeared to be sinking into the man’s skinless shoulders. The masterpiece though was the finishing touch.

Carefully, he cut letters and numbers out of the skin that he’d removed from Steven’s body, and pasted it to the wall using glue and blood as adhesive. 

“Come get me, if you can. I dare you. 19910618-126H425JT”

That should eventually get to Hotchner, but slow them down enough that he could buy himself some time. The FBI case file number for Steven’s juvenile records were sealed, and therefore wouldn’t be a quick find. He couldn’t make this easy after all. Looking around the apartment, he carefully cleaned up, then took his gloves, and the body suit that he’d been wearing off shoving them in a bag that he’d dump somewhere far, far away from Portland. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Danny Williams will be an addition in future fics. He won't make an appearance in this story.


	27. Early Morning Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Aaron have a quiet morning over breakfast after the EU&IU team wraps up their New Jersey case. Then, later the same day, Aaron interviews his new Technical Analyst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a day late. Yesterday got away from me.

Banner by Rivermoon1970

 

##  **Chapter Twenty Seven:** _Early Morning Chat_

  
  
  


Hotch came in earlier than normal. He had some paperwork to get done, and he wanted to check in on Tony to see how their case was going. He knew that when he’d left the night before, they were getting close. Tony said that they were just waiting on a warrant to come in so Raven and McGee could start doing their thing. The BAU was in between cases and with Chin neck deep in computer searches for the Gideon case he’d offered up Tim to backup Raven. He was glad that he’d let Tony talk him into giving the man a chance until he could find someone he liked.

At first, Aaron had been doubtful that someone who thought like an agent could be as effective as Garcia had been. Tim had proven them wrong, in spades. The TA admitted to Spencer that Tony’s outside the box training helped improve him not only as a field agent but as a technical analyst, also.

Maybe Tony didn’t know the inner workings of computer systems and security protocols. He did though know outside of the box. He knew how to let that little seed of an idea blossom into a lead that broke cases. He knew how to forget the conventional, and see the extraordinary hiding in the shadows hoping to be overlooked.

Tim said it was those things that helped him become better at his role in the digital and intranet part of the case. Hotch even heard a rumor that Tim, Raven, and Chin were getting together now on a weekly basis to share tips and hacks tricks. All in all, Tim McGee was making the transition from Penelope Garcia to whomever their next permanent technical analyst was much easier.

Hotch did have one name that he kept coming back to. It had actually come from Emily Prentiss and Raven Ramirez together. Hotch couldn’t help but smile remembering how hesitant the normally confident agent had been in bringing him the recommendation, and now nervous the newer TA was, as well. He also couldn’t forget how many times Tony’s Birdling stressed that he was a white hat, not a black hat.

Aaron was worried at first that this thing with Garcia would hurt the girl’s confidence. Fortunately, she had strong people around her that were not afraid to remind her, and anyone else running their mouths, that she was not Penelope Garcia. It also helped that AD Evans was of the same mind, and had made sure to make his support of the girl known.

Aaron wanted to talk to the girl himself. He knew that Dave had gone and apologized with words as well as an expensive bouquet of flowers. Never let it be said that David Rossi did anything by halves. His apologies were as extravagant and passionate as his rages. There was something happening with the two teams. It was more than just his relationship with Tony, and whatever was developing with Derek and Raven.

Tony and Rossi were still more than a little cool to each other, but on the flip side, his lover had formed a friendship with Emily and Derek that seemed to be growing daily. Chin and Prentiss met on Saturday mornings to have tea at a favorite spot they’d discovered they shared by mere coincidence. Elijah’s daughter and Callahan’s niece had become friends forming a three-way friendship that included Emily Fornell. A couple weeks ago the Friday night out included an invite for both units.

There was definitely something happening there, and Aaron did not want it to be squashed by any lingering doubts that his team did not trust Raven Ramirez completely.

As he headed off the elevator and toward his office, Aaron reminded himself that he needed to call Q aka Ashcroft Roosevelt Paddington. Neither Prentiss nor Raven knew him by any other name than Q though. He needed to set up a first and final interview with the man. If he was as willing as the women led him to believe, he would be able to relocate to the states.

He’d already had Agent McGee run a thorough background check on the man, and Emily provided him some information she’d received through backchannels. Apparently, she was tight with an MI6 agent she only knew as 007. MI6 being Q’s former employer. Then, not even two hours after he’d received the file, he received a call from the new Secret Intelligence Service, aka MI6, head Gareth Mallory.

They hadn’t been able to find more than a parking ticket on the young man personally. Professionally, he was a bit of a risk on paper, but all of the off the record information that Aaron had received indicated that Aaron would be a ‘bloody fool’ as Mallory put it to not hire the young man. He’d admitted that Ashcroft was being used as a scapegoat for the events that lead to the previous SIS Head’s death. Despite there being several other factors involved, they used the fact that it was the younger man who released the virus into the organization’s systems as the major contributing misstep that lead to her death.

Apparently, according to Emily’s friend that was a pile of rubbish. While Q certainly held some blame in the whole fiasco, it wasn’t all his fault, and the man had sent a glowing recommendation hinting that if they played their cards right the FBI just might gain a former MI6 operative also. Not 007, but someone who Emily had been close-lipped, but eager about. When he’d shared this note with Tony, the EU&IU Leader’s eyes had lit up. Aaron was well aware that his proposal for two more members had been approved. A former MI6 agent would more than fit the bill for the veteran undercover agent that he was looking for.

The next day after Mallory’s call, he’d received a call from an anonymous person high in the British government who suggested that they would greatly appreciate his consideration of the young Paddington. When he’d relayed the call to Emily, she once more was fairly close-lipped, but did reluctantly offer that Q’s father might be of some importance in the government. She’d then admitted that he maybe possibly had a brother who worked with this 007 at MI6.

Finally, Aaron had a visit from FBI Director Skinner himself who suggested that they would all appreciate if he would hire the younger man. While he wasn’t normally one to like bowing to political pressure, in this instance it seemed that not taking the younger man onto his team would be something akin to cutting off his nose to spite his face. So, unless Ashcroft completely bombed his interview the BAU would soon have a former SIS Quartermaster as his Technical Analyst. Not too shabby if he said so himself.

Then there was the whole Paddington part of the equation that was eating at his gut. He needed to discuss it with Tony but had received direct orders from Director Skinner not to do so until after he’d talked to the young tech genius. They very much wanted this man on their team and didn’t have authorization from MI6 to relay the familial relationship to Tony just yet. 

He had kinda talked around the topic in incredibly vague terms with the AIC about how he felt about his British relatives, and if there was any ill will there. Fortunately, they’d just talked in length about the whole Clay and Robert situation, and Aaron remembered clearly that Tony said that in the end, anything would be worth it to have a relative that wanted to be his family. So, he would be definitely questioning the young cousin about his feelings toward his American relative. Should he be a jackass about it, Aaron didn’t care who wanted it. Ashcroft would not be joining the BAU.

When he walked into his office, he didn’t flip on his light as normal. After taking off his coat and hanging it on a hook, he looked to the far corner of his office. Immediately, he was glad that he hadn’t turned the lights on. Laying there on the couch under the throw that he usually kept in a cabinet on the bottom of his bookshelf was Tony. The man’s long frame was curled up on the leather, even though it wasn’t needed. Aaron made sure to get a piece of furniture that would fit his own height, which meant that it should also fit his lover’s frame.

He noticed though that Tony had the habit of doing the same thing when they shared a bed. The profiler in him said that it most likely had something to do with the dysfunctional childhood that he’d suffered. The death of his mother leaving him with only an uncaring father probably left several nights with little Tony curled up under a blanket crying himself to sleep. The friend and lover in him liked how Tony would uncurl like a flower if Aaron lay behind him and wrapped an arm around his body. It was as if the man knew that he was now safe, and it was ok to show his petals to the world.

Hotch took a moment to lean against the opposite wall from the couch and study him. Even when sleeping, he looked tired. This thing with Gideon and Garcia, and what Jason had done to Brandt had taken a toll on the AIC. Aaron suspected that his lover wasn’t getting much sleep at night when they weren’t together.

He was pretty sure there were long hours being spent turning things over in his head and worrying about decisions already made. He wished that he could change that, but he knew from experience that it was something you had to work through on your own.

Will was recovering from his ordeal. Aaron hoped that Tony would forgive himself for that soon, but he didn’t think it would happen until he could see the man for himself. Unfortunately, Will was recovering at his ranch with Robert. Not that Aaron could blame him for it.

Logically it made sense, but as Tony’s lover, he was a little upset that the man hadn’t taken two seconds to come see his boss. Instead, Tony bent over backward to get all the information he needed from Will without making the man do anything he didn’t want. Aaron knew it wasn’t really a selfish act, but it was hard to remember that with his lover suffering so much from a decision that any leader would have made.

That is what the Agent in Charge was, also. He was not just a ‘Boss’ as his people called him. He was a leader and a natural one at that. Sometimes his leadership methods may not be exactly by the books, but in Aaron’s opinion the truly great leaders were like that. They took what the books said, then used that knowledge in their own way. They didn’t use the books like a how-to manual and took each word on each line literally. That was something that Hotch himself had to learn in the beginning when he was out in Seattle.

As he watched, Tony stirred slowly opening hazel eyes that Aaron loved so much opened. When he was spotted, a sleepy happy smile crossed Tony’s face, and Aaron found himself crossing the short distance to the sofa. Kneeling down, Aaron leaned over and put a kiss to his boyfriend’s temple.

“Morning,” Aaron greeted and followed it up with a quick peck on Tony’s lips. “How much sleep did you get last night?”

Tony shrugged and let his eyes slip back closed. “Time s’it?”

“It’s about six thirty. When was the last time you ate?” Hotch asked running his fingers through Tony’s hair.

“Bout three hours sl’p. Dunno ‘bout food. Breakfast? Y’sterday? Hungry.”

Frowning, Aaron wondered if this was an anomaly, or if he was going to have to make sure someone watched his lover’s eating habits when he was on a case. “Get some more sleep. I’ll go get some food. You can eat when I get back, then come back in here and get some more rest. Who else is here?”

“R’ven in the Batcave. Em’ly in my office. McHelpsalot in Fornell’s office.” Aaron snorted at the nickname. Even in his sleep, Tony had to mangle McGee’s name. It was one of those DiNozzo quirks that just made him the man Aaron was growing to love.

“I’ll pick something up for them that can keep then. Get more rest. I’ll wake you up when I get back.”

A little over an hour later, Tony and Aaron were sitting alone in the conference room eating breakfast skillets and biscuits while drinking smoothies. Hotch had gotten bagels and breakfast sandwiches, and put them in the EU&IU break room for the others.

Tony had a thoughtful expression on his face and Aaron was trying to let him be. He wasn’t sure if it was personal or his case, and didn’t want to ruin his train of thought if it was the case.

“I’m almost positive that I am going to be using the L word with you fairly soon,” Tony advised suddenly and nonchalantly as he continued to eat his skillet. “I am warning you now. So when I say it for sure you won’t be shocked.”

Aaron didn’t even bother to try and hold in the smile. It was just such a Tony thing to say. He saw the man peek at him, but before he could respond, the Italian barreled on as if he felt that he needed to justify himself.

“I don’t know if this is rushing or not. As I’ve told you, I don’t have much experience with successful relationships that go beyond a few weeks. I mean most of the previous ones have ended up in forest fire type flames. So, I am a little unsure of what the appropriate timeline is for expressing your almost feelings.”

Aaron smiled softly at the man sitting next to him. The more time he knew the man, the happier he was that he let Dave con him into taking a chance. “I’m not sure that there is a standard timeline for these things, Tony. I think that it’s different for every couple. I feel though that you and I are at a stage in our lives that we both know what we want. If it makes you feel any better, I am almost ready to use the L word with you, too.”

“Yeah?” Tony asked smiling shyly.

Aaron reached over and took one of his hands, “Yeah.” He picked up the hand he was holding and kissed his knuckles, making the other man grin.

“On a completely separate note, and highly unromantic, I feel like we’re never going to catch Jason.” Tony lamented, and Aaron just huffed understanding his frustration.

He didn’t mind the subject change at all. He was feeling the stress himself even though he was mostly removed from the case. Tony’s team was taking other cases while keeping an eye out for new deaths. The BAU was doing mostly consults, and doing some interviews of serial killers that had been locked up. Neither man liked it, but Aaron knew at least that he understood it. This thing with Gideon wasn’t going to end anytime soon. In fact, he was a little afraid that it would never end.

“The problem is that Jason Gideon was not just a profiler. He was a founding member of the BAU, and one of the best we’ll probably ever have. He was also one of the best at getting inside the unsub’s head. He has a huge amount of information on how to kill people and how to hide bodies. He knows all of the things that work, and all of the things that don’t work. With his knowledge, this could go on indefinitely. Unless he has a complete break and starts getting sloppy, I have my doubts that this is going to end anytime soon. How’s Chin coming with the tracking program?”

Tony sighed and rolled his shoulders trying to wake up a little more. “He got it finished. Raven wanted to make sure the back door Garcia opened was completely sealed before he started. So, that slowed things down. She, also, reworked the security on both teams’ files before he started the tracking program with help from McGee, Krumitz, and that guy she recommended to you who goes by Q.

“Since we’re about as sure as we can be that Gideon’s no longer in Charleston, there is no telling where he’ll pop up again. There are no credit cards being used in his name. He doesn’t seem to have a permanent address. His pension funds from the FBI are going into an account that he isn’t touching. I talked to his son Stephen who says he hasn’t talked to him in years. If he’s using all that stuff he knows, he’s paying cash for everything, has an account under an assumed name that’s been set up for years, and traveling under an assumed name. Jesus, this could go on forever.”

Aaron nods and smiled at Tony. “He’ll mess up. They always do. It just probably won’t be as quickly as we like it. We’ve sent out warnings to Spencer’s consults, but my gut feeling is that isn’t going to end it. Do you have plans for Thanksgiving?”

Tony finished off his breakfast before answering. “I do. I umm I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. Will and Robert have invited me to come to Montana for the holiday. They uhh… they said I could bring you along if… I mean, if you want?”

Aaron frowned as he considered the possibilities. “Can we even get plane tickets at this late of a date?”

He really liked the idea of getting some alone time with Tony. Both teams needed to take a break. It was too bad that they couldn’t get a full week.

Tony nodded slurping up the remainder of his smoothie. “No problemo. One of my frat brothers is willing to drop us off, and give us a ride back. He has to go to his in-laws in California.”

Aaron arched an eyebrow amused. “Drop us off?”

Tony nodded grinning big. “Private jet. You interested?”

Aaron chuckled and then nodded. “I would love to. Thanksgiving in Montana sounds wonderful. I’ll even promise not to kill Robert in his sleep.”

Tony laughed throwing his head back. “Well, if you can’t resist the urge, Will says there’s a reason he has all that land. I am really glad I took a chance on you, Aaron Hotchner. John stopped by last night after we got what we needed to nail Sandoval, and said he was ordering down time for both teams for the full week after Thanksgiving. He said that he’s worried both teams are off their game with Gideon pulling out the rug from under our feet. He wants us to get our heads back on straight then come back ready to take on new cases while chasing Gideon in our downtime.

“He also said that he’s going to steal some empty space and create us a war room that we can use for all the information. 26 deaths is a lot of people, and while they’d like this to go away quickly, even the Director seems to understand it’s not going to go down that way. He will probably be talking to you sometime soon about your feelings on combining your area down into ours. That way we’ll all be on one floor, and you have access to the secure conference room.”

Sighing Aaron shook his head. “I can’t believe Jason’s killed 26 people. I’m fine with the combining areas. It makes sense to me, and selfishly I would be thrilled to be on the same floor as you.”

Tony bit his lip shrugging. “26 is the number that has the signature on it. Who only knows if there are more from before the first known victim in Bisbee, Arizona. At any rate, information is still coming in from all the PDs. It should all be here when we get back from our week plus off. I hate to say it, but I think John is right. I need the time to get my head wrapped around all of this shit. I would be thrilled to be on the same floor as you also. We can find a coat closet to sneak kisses in on our breaks.

“You never know. Montana may end up being the perfect place to finally use that L word.”

Smiling, he squeezed Tony’s hand. “I can’t imagine anything better.”

Later that day, Aaron was sitting in the EU&IU Conference room waiting on a video conference to start.  When he’d reached out to Ashcroft, the young man had responded immediately that other than a quick appointment he was about to leave for, he had no other plans for the day or the rest of the week.  Because he never knew when a case was going to crop up, Aaron scheduled the interview for later that same day. Chin had set everything up for him but promised that he would monitor without turning the sound on.

Apparently, Raven and her friend and former co-worker when she was in Cyber Division, Daniel Krumitz, were developing a software program that could monitor video conferences for certain keywords that would indicate a problem. They’d agreed upon an emergency phrase, the sky is cloudy in the valley in Brazil, and Chin entered it into the software. They’d needed something to test it on, and Aaron had agreed that this would be fine. Plus, it would get him a secure video conference without having to have a tech monitor. Since he would be bringing up Tony and his connection to his possibly new Technical Analyst that was a good thing.

When the screen lit up, there was a man on the screen that looked to be around Spencer’s age. He was wearing a blue suit coat with black horizontal and vertical lines. Under it, he appeared to have both a dress shirt and a sweater or sweater vest. His hair was a mass of barely controlled waves. He knew this because it reminded him of Reid’s hair. In fact, the only difference that he could see was that Ashcroft wore glasses.

“Mr. Paddington, I assume?”  Aaron asked, and watched the young man nod before responding.

“That would be correct, Unit Chief Hotchner. I do appreciate us doing a formal interview, and you not just bowing to the ridiculous pressure my insane family and friends are putting on you.”

Aaron tilted his head to one side and offered a half smile.  “I have not lasted this long in this position by bowing to political pressure every time it’s thrust at me, Mr. Paddington. Despite what others wish. I do have a concern before we can agree on things, and it most likely is not what you are expecting.”

Ashcroft nodded formally, and Aaron could practically see him gathering his courage. “I do realize that I made an error in judgment in my actions that caused the breach in MI6’s computers…”

“That isn’t what I was referring to,” Aaron interrupted quietly, but firmly as he waited for the man to react.

He could see, only because of his years spent as a profiler, the man startle, and the brief flicker of his eyes to a point behind the monitor. “Before I continue, I must insist on seeing whomever else is in the room with you, Mr. Paddington. What I have to discuss with you is of a fairly personal and confidential nature. I am not willing to divulge what I have to say to just anyone.”

Again, he read a brief flicker of uncertainty before it was locked down. His Unit Chief Hotchner mask persona firmly in place, Aaron just arched an eyebrow and waited. Eventually, a man came into view, and when Ashcroft scooted over, Aaron realized who it was.  The man was roughly the same height as Ashcroft but had blonde hair. One side of his face showed mild burn scars that appeared to have happened some time ago. Tim was going to lose another bet to Spencer.

“Former 006, I had a feeling it was either you or 007. I don’t mind your presence. A man in your former position knows how to keep secrets. I just insist that what is said here is kept to the three of us. All of the involved parties are not aware of… the nature of what we are about to discuss. I don’t want things getting out before I have a chance to speak to him. I would appreciate your real name though, if I may.”

Alec just shrugged and leaned back in his chair crossing his arms over his chest glaring at the screen. “Alec Trevelyan is my name. How do you know I was 006?”

Aaron snorted and lifted an eyebrow at the attempt at intimidation. “I have computer people of my own. Even our current analyst is a temporary fill in, he’s still an MIT graduate and damned good at what he does. I don’t often make decisions with only the half information provided to me. Your or 007’s possible presence today is one of the reasons I requested a secure video conference. Since I wasn’t sure which of you would be there, I didn’t want to risk the active agent’s identity should someone come in, as unlike yourself, I know he’s not yet formally retired from SIS.”

Aaron turned his gaze back to the former Quartermaster and waited for the man to speak. “Is my relationship with Alec going to be an issue?”

Aaron lifted an eyebrow in amusement. “I think my boyfriend would be terribly put out if it was.”

Mr. Paddington tried to hide his shock, but the former agent didn’t even bother letting out a quiet chuckle. “Unit Chief Hotchner, how about you just tell us what it is that concerns you about, Q. I can tell you that he’s the best damned Quartermaster I ever worked with, and the only person I was willing to let handle my assignments. I know you received several recommendations as to his skill, so what could you possibly be unsure of in his competency to be your technical analyst? If anything, he’s overqualified.”

“I don’t recall saying that it was a professional concern,” Aaron pointed out. When Alec’s mouth opened, then clamped shut without speaking, Aaron flashed a satisfied smirk and turned his attention to his interviewee. 

“There was only one problem with all of the references and information that I received on you, Ashcroft Roosevelt Paddington. None of it took into account my boyfriend and the leader of our Elite Undercover and Investigative Unit, whom you may be working with on occasion. So, given that, I need to know how you feel about your cousin, Anthony DiNozzo, Jr. If there is going to be animosity and ill will between you, despite your over qualification and numerous references, I am afraid I would need to pass.”

At this point, Ashcroft dropped all attempts at hiding his shock. “I don’t understand. How is Aunt Elizabeth’s son a leader for the FBI? Last I was informed, he was a member of an organized crime family in Philadelphia.”

Aaron frowned and cocked his head to one side. “How did you get that information, Mr. Paddington?”

Q lifted his chin slightly before replying, “A confidential resource.”

Aaron rolled his eyes at the man, then glared. “Would this confidential resource be your father that works for the British government, or more likely the brother that works with 006 and 007?”

Before Q could get too flustered, Alec put an arm over his shoulders. “How is Emily these days?”

Aaron smiled and nodded. “Doing well. What I am about to say truly is classified information, as there are still a few members of that former crime organization alive. Agent DiNozzo was undercover at the time with us to try and bring down the syndicate. Despite the fact that his boss was dirty and working for the family, he succeeded in bringing down the entire top tier.  Whoever gave you that information didn’t know what they are talking about, Mr. Paddington. Your cousin is both highly respected and highly successful in what he does. In fact, the conference room I am sitting in was created for his department. A department that the Director of the FBI created for him.”

Ashcroft sighed and scowled. Aaron watched him take off his glasses and wipe a hand over his eyes before continuing. “Bloody family is filled with nothing but imbeciles. It’s no wonder the fool hasn’t been killed by now, as I’m not sure my brother has enough active brain cells to work the toaster. Please, call me Q or Ashcroft, Mr. Hotchner. When you say Mr. Paddington I feel like my father should be coming in.”

Aaron nodded and smiled. “Please, call me Aaron or Hotch then, and I understand. I have a younger brother of my own who has often made me want to bury him in my backyard, but he’s still my brother and therefore I love him.”

Q nodded his head before speaking. “My apologies, Unit Chief Hotchner. I honestly have never had contact with my cousin. When my Aunt Elizabeth married that scoundrel Anthony DiNozzo, Sr, which was all the way before my father’s first wife died, and he met then married my mother, both my father as well as my Uncle Clive cut all ties with her.

“I honestly have no opinion of my cousin Anthony at the present time. However, I would be most interested in getting to know him should we be working together. I may not be able to see my father and mother often, but despite his absolute knack for irritating me at the most inconvenient times, I rather enjoyed working with my older brother most days. I had grown used to having family so close on a daily basis, and I was not looking forward to going back to the way it was before. I am not one to let others make my mind up for me. So, whatever is between his father and mine is just that as far as I am concerned.”

Aaron nodded smiling as he flicked his eyes back to the former 006. “One suggestion. Do not ever call him Anthony. The only person that can get away with it is a friend of his who is from Scotland, and in his 70s. His father only calls him Anthony or Junior, and as they aren’t on speaking terms, he doesn’t take the name well from anyone else. He generally just goes by Tony. Alec, I do have a question for you. How retired are you? I ask because I know that Tony’s team is looking for another veteran undercover agent, and I have a feeling he would love a shot at adding someone with your experience to his unit.”

Alec’s eyes lit up, but the man turned his head to look at Q, who seemed to smile encouragingly. “I’m only bloody retired in the first place because of what the bastards did to my Q! I’m not ready to go to pasture just yet. I’d love to hear about this job. Anything elite and undercover is right up my alley.”

Hotch couldn’t help but snicker at the man. He could absolutely picture him with the rest of the bunch, but he and Robert together may just be a nightmare. “I will pass along the information. Ashcroft Paddington, consider yourself hired. My team is on stand down right now. I’d like you in place no later than the first of the year. There will be some training you’ll need to do to familiarize yourselves with American laws, and we’ll have to get your work visas settled. So, if it takes longer than that I understand. Q, email me your and Alec’s information at a.hotchner.bau@fbi.gov, please, so that we can stay in contact. I will tell your cousin about all of this over the Thanksgiving weekend coming up here. So, I would guess he’ll most likely contact you at some time after that.”

The three chatted for a few more minutes before, they ended the conference.  Once the screen was black, Aaron took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. He’d done it. He’d found real blood family for Tony, and himself a Technical Analyst all at the same time. Not bad for a day’s work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's hard to believe there are only three more chapters left. Hope you enjoy the end of the ride. 
> 
> Ashcroft Roosevelt Paddington is my identity for Q the current Quartermaster in the James Bond Craig Verse movies. Alec is the 00Q Version, which is OoC from the movie version. Like Danny Williams they will after this chapter not be seen again until future installments.


	28. Reuniting Families

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Aaron head to visit Will and Robert for Thanksgiving. On the way to the ranch, Aaron comes clean about his find, and Tony deals with the notion that he has family beyond Trent. Then later it's Tony's visit to come clean, and Robert finds out maybe not all of his family are assholes.

Banner by Rivermoon1970

 

 

##  **Chapter Twenty Eight:** _Reuniting Families_

  
  
  


  
Tony was looking at the highway in front of him as he headed from the airport to Will’s ranch. Aaron was sitting in the passenger’s side seat, and their hands were twined together resting on the middle console with Tony’s hand on the bottom. The cab was quiet without even music playing at the moment, and Tony had a feeling that the other man had something he wanted to say if the quick glances he kept shooting his direction were any indication. He wanted to ask, but knew whatever it was would come out when Aaron was ready.

  
  
  


Feeling a burst of affection for the man next to him, Tony lifted his hand to bring his knuckles to his lips. He pressed a kiss to each one before letting it drop back to where they lay before. “Thank you for coming with me,” he said quietly.

  
  
  


“It means a lot to me that you’re here. Especially with everything that’s gone on since we got that damned case. I’ll be honest. There were a few moments where I was scared to death that this thing between us was going to get lost in the chaos.”

  
  
  


“Never,” Aaron said quickly and seriously. Quickly, Tony stole a glance to see the older man watching him with an open and earnest expression.

  
  
  


“I’m not going to say that professionally we won’t ever be at odds because it’s inevitable. We are two different people with two different management styles. Although, I don’t see us working together on the same case a ton beyond this fiasco with Jason. So, that will help. I can promise you though that I will do my best not to bring work frustrations home into our personal life. Right now, I know it isn’t an issue since we have two different homes. I… I am hoping though that somewhere in the not too far off future that will change.”

  
  
  


Tony stole another glance at Aaron, and this time the man’s gaze was focused out the side window. “I miss having someone to come home to or knowing that at some point there will be someone coming home to me. I’m looking forward to someone I can talk cases out with that actually understands the importance of my work. I’m also looking forward to not having to keep so many secrets because of confidentiality. I already verified with Mateo that we can talk cases. He suggested that we sign a higher Non-Disclosure Agreement, but…”

  
  
  


“I did that before we left the office yesterday,” Tony inserted quickly. “Cruz said that you’d explain why. Makes sense, and I like the idea a lot. He said that you had something big to tell me, too?”

  
  
  


Tony heard a deep sigh and stole a concerned glance. It was fortunate that there weren’t many vehicles around them with all the looks he was stealing. “Aaron?”

  
  
  


“I have something to tell you,” Aaron began sounding somewhat nervous. “You know that talk that you had with Clay, and the one you’re going to have with Robert?”

  
  
  


Tony nodded not daring to look again, as much as he wanted to. Aaron must have seen the nod because he quickly went on. “Well, we need to have a similar talk.”

  
  
  


“Aaron? I don’t…” Tony started but stopped not understanding.

  
  
  


“I found a replacement for Garcia. A young man from England who most recently worked for SIS as their Quartermaster for the MI6 division. That is part of the reason for the new NDA documents, and there should have been a raising of your security clearance, even though it was already ridiculously high for your previous position.”

  
  
  


“OK? I don’t understand…”

  
  
  


“I know, T. Just let me finish, and you will.”

  
  
  


Tony nodded keeping his eyes on the road, glad that he had the excuse to use. He knew he wouldn’t be able to hide the anxiety and the confusion as to where this conversation was going from his profiler boyfriend.

  
  
  


“The former MI6 Quartermaster’s name is Ashcroft Roosevelt Paddington. He’s the youngest son of George Paddington. Younger brother to Edward Paddington who also works for MI6. Tony, he’s your cousin, and he told me that he’s looking forward to getting to know you.”

  
  
  


Immediately, Tony put on his blinker and pulled the truck off to the shoulder where he brought it to a stop. After putting it into park, he stared out the front window with his hand clenched around the steering wheel as his mind tried to process the words he’d heard.

  
  
  


“I don’t…. Say it again?”

  
  
  


“Your cousin Ashcroft is the new Technical Analyst for the BAU, and he’s looking forward to meeting you. Trent isn’t the only family you have anymore, T. There’s a whole side to your family that it seems wants to get to know you.”

  
  
  


Unclenching his hand from the steering wheel, Tony ran it over his face surprised to feel the wetness. “I haven’t heard from them since I entered the Police Academy. Other than Crispin wanting money for the loan Uncle Clive gave me, I mean.”

  
  
  


“Apparently, there was some misunderstanding about an undercover assignment you did. It seems that one of your Edward and your paths crossed. When he saw you working with whomever your mark was he assumed… well…”

Tony snorted harshly, “that I was like Senior?”

  
  
  


“Yes,” Aaron answered simply and honestly. “Ashcroft was surprised to hear that you worked for the FBI, and had some… unflattering comments about your cousin’s intelligence. I told him that I would be telling you this weekend, and most likely you would be contacting him afterward. But, T, there’s more.”

  
  
  


“Jesus, Aaron,” Tony breathed and turned to look at the gorgeous man next to him.

  
  
  


“Ashcroft is in a relationship with a now former MI6 operative named Alec Trevelyan. I talked to Alec when I interviewed your cousin, and he is very interested in your team. I believe his exact words were “anything Elite and Undercover are right up his alley”. McGee started a background check on him for you. I know you had Chin do Ruby’s but I thought that you would want it done as soon as possible.”

  
  
  


Tony snorted as a grin turned up the corners of his mouth. Lifting Aaron’s hand once more, he pressed a kiss to the back of his hand as he turned his head to look at the amazing human being next to him. “So, you not only found me a cousin, but you found me a veteran undercover operative also? McKnowsWhatIWant will be fine to do the background check. Chin is too busy with the Gideon case, and I don't what to assign that to Raven just yet. Seriously, how the fuck did I luck out and get you? Don’t ever tell him that I said this, but thank God that Dave is a nosy shit.”

  
  
  


Aaron chuckled and crossed his heart with his free hand. “You have my word of honor. I don’t think either of us wants to deal with a smug Dave saying ‘I told you so’.”

  
  
  


Taking a deep breath, Tony nodded and after checking his mirrors put the truck back in drive before pulling back out onto the highway. He hoped that Robert was as happy as he was when he found out that not all of his family sucked.

  
  
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

It was just after breakfast on their second day there, when Tony couldn’t stand the wait anymore. He’d been trying to find the perfect moment to bring up the new agent and her connection to Robert, but he just couldn’t hold it in any longer. Aaron and Robert were washing up the dishes while he and Will sat at the kitchen table finishing their coffee talking about random things when he decided to steer the conversation to the search for the final team member.

 

“I think that I found the perfect final member of the team,” Tony offered casually and saw Aaron turn to look at him before putting the plate that he’d just washed off into the rinse water.

 

“That’s great, Tony,” Will said happily.

 

“Whom is our final victim?” Robert smarted back from where he was putting away a stack of plates.

 

“Actually, I need to talk to you about her,” Tony responded trying for casual, but wasn’t sure he’d hid his nerves from the sharp eye of Will who was used to reading even those best at hiding their emotions.

 

“Me?” Will asked surprised, and Tony shrugged.

 

“Both of you actually. There was an… unexpected connection that came back in the background check.”

 

“I’ll finish up here,” Aaron offered to Robert who had paused what he was doing to turn and look at Tony. “I think that you’ll want to sit for this.”

 

Robert eyed Aaron for a moment before filling a cup with the fresh pot of coffee that had just finished brewing and moving back to the table. When he sat down, he remained quite unsure what he had to do with whomever Tony wanted to hire to complete his team.

 

“I got a recommendation for someone on the BAU team. Dr. Spencer Reid specifically, for an agent who would be perfect to finish the team. He knew Ruby Miller through her husband, whom he had mentored for the younger man’s engineering doctorate. Ruby is currently working as mostly a translator with one of our Foreign Dignitary Crimes teams. However, before she came to the FBI she worked undercover for Vice with Oakland PD, but because of her petite physical stature, her boss decided that she was incapable of performing… well just about anything outside of translation. She obviously disagreed and tried to put in an application for the team, but the jackass blocked her request.

 

“Eventually, Spencer decided to step in and brought me her application directly. During the background check I performed on both her and her husband, I found… Well, Robert, I found that her husband is actually your nephew.”

 

“My… Explain please,” Robert demanded as Will reached over and took his hand. 

 

“Clay is the youngest son of your brother Jeffrey,” Tony explained carefully. “It seems that he disagrees with your father and brother on how you were treated when you returned from your kidnapping. “He was supposed to take over Morgan Engineering from your father when he graduated from college. However, while he was there, he ran into a family friend Admiral Chegwidden who filled him in on the truth. He also informed him that the friend he’d made, Dean Winchester, was actually his half-uncle. Apparently, your father had an affair and Dean was the result. That was basically the straw that broke the camel’s back and at that point, he completely separated himself from the rest of your family. He changed his last name, and when he finished college, opened his own engineering firm where he has systematically stolen almost all of your father’s government contracts. Clay is… motivated, you might say, to make sure that the rest of the family pays for abandoning you.”

 

Robert sighed and ran a hand over his face before resting his forehead on a clenched fist with his elbow on the table top. Both Will and Tony were concerned but recognized that what had just been revealed was a lot to take in. Therefore, they each were more than willing to give him whatever time he needed to wrap his head around it before replying. 

 

Eventually, Aaron came over and filled everyone’s cups, bringing sugar and creamer for Will and Tony before sitting down next to Tony taking his hand. Shortly after this, Robert began speaking softly.

 

“Clay was just a kid the last time I saw him, but dad and his father already had his entire life planned out. What sports he’d play in high school and what clubs he’d join. What college he’d go to and what he’d major in. Hell, they’d even made a short list of acceptable families for him to marry into. The kid’s entire life was mapped out in stone with very little thought given to what he might want, and, Jesus, he was such a quiet kid.

 

“I knew that he’d never break free from them on his own. I was so scared what would happen to him after…” Robert trailed off and after a pause, Will took up the tale.

 

“I remember that conversation,” he admitted. “You were so worried what turning your back on him would do to his future. The last thing you wanted was to leave his fate in their hands. Then one day you said that you’d found the only chance Clay had at becoming his own man, and never spoke of it after that.”

 

“AJ’s a good man,” Robert confessed. “He and father have been friends for ages, and he was always around at the family events, especially the Fourth of July bash. I loved hearing all his stories. Shit, he’s one of the bigger reasons why I wanted to go into the military. I was fascinated by him and thought he was a real-life superhero. I wanted to be just like him.”

 

Robert lifted his gaze and looked at Tony. His expression guarded, but the worry clear in his eyes. “Have you talked to him? What happened? Is he ok?”

 

“He is,” Tony assured. “He’s one hell of a man. He was actually the one who went to Spencer on Ruby’s behalf asking for his help with her boss. They both came in for the initial interview, and I have to say it’s very obvious how very much the two of them love each other. They are married and have two sons named Riley and Jason. Clay is incredibly committed to you. He was very clear on how big of an influence you were on him as a child, and it was because of you that he felt it ok to be himself.”

 

Tony stopped talking and closed his eyes for a moment taking a deep breath hoping to settle his nerves. When he felt Aaron’s hand squeeze his, he opened them and let the open affection and confidence on the man’s face calm him.

 

“I know you, Robert,” Tony offered carefully as he picked his way through his own past in his head. “As Trent pointed out to me, for the most part, I am you. The two of us have a crazy lot of things in common, and most of them center around crappy families. Before the drive here I would have told you that I would give everything after Aaron and my team to have a family member who loves me. Just fucking ONE! I also know based on how my father has treated me, how fucking reluctant I would be to believe anyone who just popped up and claimed they gave a fuck and oh by the way we share DNA. The thing though, Robert, is this is real, and he gives a fuck, and he wants you back. You and I….” 

 

Tony stopped to gather himself after a surge of powerful emotion as he thought briefly at his own budding opportunity.

 

“You and I have a shot here at something neither of us ever dreamed possible. Something that we both gave up on ages ago. Something that… something that most people take for granted, but people like us understand how precious it is. He loves you, man, and all he really wants is to have his Uncle Robert back. That’s it. Just you. Nothing more.”

 

Tony could clearly see the emotions warring inside Robert as the older man watched him. He wanted to reach out and offer him comfort but knew he wouldn’t welcome the touch himself if he were in Robert’s spot. So, instead, he stayed still and let Will comfort his husband. Eventually, he became aware of Aaron’s hand mirroring Will’s as it moved up and down on his back. Ever so slightly, he leaned back into the touch letting himself to accept the comfort his boyfriend was giving him. It wasn’t easy, but Aaron was teaching him that it was ok to sometimes let someone inside his walls and masks. Slowly, both he and Robert relaxed under their partner’s care until the other man ran a hand over the back of his head.

 

“Ok, I’m in,” he said nodding for emphasis. “Tell Clay I’d like to see him. Maybe it’s time to give this family thing another shot.”

 

Tony smiled big having made a similar decision for himself. Maybe it was time to re-evaluate things he’d written off as impossible and locked away in his own Pandora’s box. Between Aaron and now his cousin Ashcroft it seemed the impossible was suddenly becoming possible.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There were some questions about Q (Ashcroft) and I thought it'd be easiest to explain here. I am not sure how much this connection will be fleshed out in the fic so this will be easier.
> 
> Trent's father and Ashcroft's father are brothers and Tony's mother is their younger sister. In my head, Trent's father is somewhat estranged from the family. (Not sure why yet it isn't fleshed out in my head.) So, Q has no knowledge of Trent or his Uncle. I'm not sure where Crispin and Uncle Clive fall into things. They haven't been relevant yet so I haven't thought about them too in depth.
> 
> Yes, Ashcroft is the same as in my other fics I have made Q from James Bond (Craig Verse) a Paddington. The only different here is I've AU'd my own OC. In this story Q and Edward are brothers. In other stories I've used him in they have been cousins. Edward still works for MI6. 
> 
> I can't believe there are only two more chapters to go. This chapter was actually the last one I wrote of the story. Good news though, I have Apocalypse Reinvented, my Nov RT/NANO entry, finished. It will start posting soon. Possibly as soon as next Sunday or Saturday. I haven't decided on its posting schedule yet. It features Tony DiNozzo/Sam Winchester. There are some references to Child Abuse in the first 4 chapters. Nothing is shown though. It's only mentioned. I will have a warning in the contents though for those that it is a triggery subject.


	29. The L Word

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time has come, and a four letter word is uttered. Finally, a future settles into place.

Banner by Rivermoon1970

 

 

##  **Chapter Twenty Nine:** _The L Word_

  
  


Tony was standing on the porch looking over the vast landscape of Will’s ranch. He was bundled up in his winter coat, hat, and scarf because even with the outdoor heaters that his friend had on the porch, it was still Montana at the end of November. The others were inside talking comics and superheroes. While normally Tony would fake his way through, or just listen in enjoying Aaron’s presence, he had bigger things on his mind. 

There was something about this place that inspired introspection, and spending so much time around a couple as happy and connected as Will and Robert had him focused on his own relationship current and most recently ended. 

“You’re gonna catch pneumonia out here, and then your team will murder me scattering my parts across the globe so I can’t be identified.”

Tony snorted and glanced over his shoulder, as he felt Aaron’s arms wrap around his waist. “You’ve been quiet.”

“Did you mean it when you said before that we should go at our own pace?”

The silence wasn’t as disquieting as it normally would be. The conversation had happened weeks earlier, and he knew his boyfriend was trying to recall his specific wording. Without Reid’s amazing memory available, he had to do with his own more mortal recall. They all couldn’t be living breathing mutants like Dr. Spencer Reid, and if he secretly was an X-man fanatic the geeks inside never needed to know.

“I did,” Aaron finally assured before Tony felt a kiss placed on the outer edge of his ear before it was tucked back underneath his hat. “I still do. As I said then, we’re old enough to know what we want. What business is it of anyone but ours how fast we proceed?”

“I love you, and I want to be with you forever,” Tony pronounced quietly, his voice heavy with emotion and for some reason grief. He was so tired of always doing what everyone else wanted him to do. He was tired of trying to live up to standards of every fucking person around him that in no way met anything he wished for himself. He was tired of always being just a little bit short of good enough. He was tired of not ever putting himself first.

“I want us to buy a ridiculously too big house for two people, just because we can afford all the extra things. I want a room for Trent when he comes in town, because he’s been the only family I had for most of my life that gave a fuck, and it breaks my heart that he stays in hotels because he doesn’t see a need to buy something he’ll mostly never see. I want to have a small house out back of our too big house for anyone we love that needs a hiding place, because they’re all insanely important to us, and they should all have a safe haven. I want to buy two little dogs and name them Bogart for the boy and Bacall for the girl. I want us to take vacations around the globe because we can afford it, so we can remember just how fucking lucky we are. I want us to retire some day to a house on the beach in Hawaii and be surrounded by Chin and blend his ohana with ours.

“I want to never have to give a fuck what NCIS did to me because it won’t matter anymore. I want my father to be put in prison for the rest of his life, not because he does bad things now, but because he did bad things to me as a child. I’ll take having him locked up for the bad things he does now though, as long as he goes away forever. I want sleepy mornings reading to each other. I want late nights shooting pool or darts or playing music in our too big house with friends hanging out. I want to never have to worry again about if its ok to show how I feel or say what I think without worrying about being told I’m weak or stupid, and I never want to be made to feel like less of a man because I don’t meet someone else’s standards again. Mostly, I don’t want to wait anymore to feel like it's safe to say I love you or to be over what Gibbs did to me or for whatever fucked up reason my brain comes up with. So, I’m just saying it now because I need to, and I hope to every fucking deity in existence that you’re ready to hear it.

“I love you Aaron Michael Hotchner, and I need you in my life forever.”

“I love you back,” Aaron whispered in his ear, his arms tightening around Tony’s waist. “Not because I feel like I have to say it now, but because I want to. I want to live in that ridiculously big house and have way too many rooms, with a house out back for whomever we love that needs a safe haven. I want your cousin to have his own room or suite in our too big house because he’s that important to you, so he’s that important to me. I love the idea of two dogs and would love to add a Maine Coon cat named Wolverine because I know you love X-Men and don’t wanna tell me. I want to see the world with you and retire to Hawaii with Chin’s ohana and ours because it sounds like being in heaven while we’re still alive. I’m letting you tell Will though that he’s not retiring to Montana.

“I don’t just want to see your father in jail, I want to kill him with my bare hands for what he did to you. While I’m at it I wanna kill Gibbs and Ziva and Abby too, and now I’m worried I sound like a serial killer. I want to help you forget what NCIS did to you because they don’t deserve that kind of power over you. Mostly, I just want to spend the rest of my life making you feel safe and loved and secure in the amazing man that you are. I want to remind you every day that you’re enough just as you are. I want to show you that it’s ok on the days that you feel insecure and can’t help it. I want to make you laugh when you think that it’ll never happen again. I want to hold you when you feel like you’ll never stop breaking. I want to help you breathe when you think you’ll never find your breath because you’re that scared. I want to know that every day there’s someone watching out for you and that the person doing it is me. I love you. Not because I have to or because you said it first. I love you because you made me whole again, and I’m secretly a romantic and couldn’t picture a better moment than in this gorgeous place.

“I love you Anthony Dominic DiNozzo, Jr, for the rest of my life, and far, far beyond the end of our days.”

Tony turned and buried his face in Aaron’s neck inhaling the scent of his boyfriend, his lover, his partner, his mate, his today, his tomorrow, his now, and his forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter!! I can't believe it, but I am determined to get back to this story. So, hopefully they won't be gone forever.
> 
> Also, I am posting the first chapter of my new story shortly after this goes up. I want to make sure to advise thought to make sure you read the note at the beginning on the first chapter. I am putting child abuse/neglect/rape tags on it. I wanted to stress though that these are going to only be conversational mentions. There is absolutely NO graphic descriptions or scenes showing the abuse. There is only one scene with violence and that includes an exorcism and a normal fight between brothers. I don't think it's too bad as these subjects are triggery for me also. The pairing is Tony/Sam Winchester and has Aaron Hotchner and Spencer Reid as Tony's brothers. It's a complete AU fic. So, expect OC-ness out of the boys.
> 
> I have several short fics in the works. We'll see if they get finished. Thank you for following this ride, and I hope you enjoy the final chapter, which is a jump into the future. Not everything is wrapped up. So, don't expect all answers to come the next chapter.


	30. The Black Queen’s Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garcia's fate is determined. One of the members of the BAU is struggling with the outcome. Tony ends up being the voice of reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! The last chapter! I am a little sad, but I am hoping to continue this. Thank you to everyone who read along the way and doubly so for those that commented.

Banner by Rivermoon1970

 

##  **Chapter Thirty:** _The Black Queen’s Fate_

  
  
  


About a month later, Tony was sitting at his desk staring at case reports slightly in disbelief. Not only had they all been processed on time, they were all thorough, and needed only a few minor corrections. Nothing in Hebrew. No technical reports in jargon so complex that it needed to be translated into English. No missing sections. He hadn’t had to do his own reports as well as someone else’s because they were too much of a dinosaur to keep up with the necessary forms to keep the team running efficiently. It was a little hard to believe, and he’d been trying not to compare the two teams for like the nine millionth time.

Hearing a knock on his door, he looked up and saw Derek standing there with a carefully blank expression on his face. It had been six months since the fiasco went down with Penelope Garcia, and Jason Gideon had been uncovered to be a psychopath. Unfortunately, he was a smart psychopath and they were still chasing him. Tony was willing to be patient though. Someone like Gideon wasn’t going to be caught easily, and he certainly wasn’t going to give up. They’d tried their best, but the bodies just kept on piling up.

Sitting back in his chair, Tony closed the file he’d been working on and waved the man in. He wasn’t really surprised to see him. Garcia’s sentencing had been finalized the day before thanks to the plea agreement the DA had proposed, and she had accepted. He’d spent many sleepless nights debating his own feelings, but by the time the evidence was turned over to the DA as a whole he’d felt confident in his recommendation.

He watched Derek come in and get settled in one of the chairs in front of his desk. The other man’s body was rigid, and it seemed to Tony that he was fighting with himself about something. Again, he wasn’t terribly surprised. He and Derek had become friends quickly once they realized how much the two of them had in common. They regularly met to play basketball, and Derek could be found quite regularly at the house he’d moved into with Aaron watching some college sports game. While Tony’s hot anger at the former technical analyst had cooled considerably, Derek’s had only built.

It probably helped that Will had also asked to speak on Penelope’s behalf and asked that they not send her to prison. Having been a victim of Jason’s, he was able to relay to the District Attorney just how unhinged the man had been. He also was able to advise how manipulative the man had been before he’d lost his marbles. Even for someone as skilled and trained to resist manipulation as he was. He’d deliberately pointed out to the judge that if a trained veteran CIA operative had problems resisting the man’s manipulations, then how could someone like Garcia.

There was something there that Tony knew he was missing. Some incident in Will’s past that involved Jason Gideon, but he hadn’t asked. If his friend and agent wanted him to know, then he’d tell him. So, while he wasn’t absolving her from any fault, he did believe that she’d in some way been a victim of Jason herself.

In the end, both Will and Tony had felt that Penelope would not be best served in jail. She still did too much good for the world. She was already trying to organize a program to teach former hackers like herself how to exist in a technological world without access to technology. While it sounded easy, Raven told Tony that for people like herself and Penelope it wasn’t quite the piece of cake that it should be. Garcia had also already begun her required therapy sessions, having been convinced by Emily and Reid that she needed to do it. Her taking responsibility and recognizing that she needed help had been another reason why Tony was willing to agree jail time wasn’t necessary.

“You made a recommendation regarding Ms. Garcia’s sentencing?”

Tony nodded without speaking. He wasn’t sure where this was going and wanted to know where his friend’s head was at before he commented.

“Why would you request leniency after what she’s done?” Derek snapped letting loose a little of that hidden emotion that he’d been trying to keep from them.

“Because it was the right thing to do,” Tony offered carefully.

“She’s responsible for people dying!” Derek snapped again, and Tony could see his hands clenching into fists.

“No, Derek,” Tony corrected calmly. He felt bad for his friend. He’d tried to get him to talk to one of the in-house shrinks and was beginning to think he’d have to suggest to Aaron that it be made mandatory. His anger was only building, and it wasn’t helping the situation or anyone involved.

Again, he spoke carefully making sure to choose his words with care. “Jason Gideon is responsible for people dying. Did she enable him? Yes, in some way she did. She provided him unauthorized access to the FBI's systems that gave him the names to work off of. However, everyone involved, other than it seems you, agree that had he not had that access the only change would be the names. He still would be out there killing people. He’d just have a different target pool. Eventually, he’s going to go away from the team’s consults anyway.

“We’ve done our best to protect the people we believe that he’ll target. While we weren’t able to cover everyone, his ongoing killings making that obvious, he’s going to run out of people he can get his hands on. Do you really think that he’ll what… just stop? You’re the profiler here, Derek. You tell me what the chances are that Jason Gideon is going to just stop when he can’t get his hands on any more people the BAU have saved by determining them innocent.

“When we got done processing all of the evidence, we couldn’t find a single thing to even suggest that Penelope Garcia was even slightly aware what Jason Gideon was really doing. In fact, every single bit of evidence we found suggests that she had no idea, and genuinely believed that he was keeping an eye on Spencer’s prior cases to protect people. He even told her that he’d accepted a consulting position, but that he didn’t want the team to know. Now, should she have verified that? Yes, she certainly should have, but that goes to her deliberate naïveté, that is really the root of all her problems right now.”

“Is she guilty of really bad judgment? Yes, she absolutely is. Did she knowingly cause people to be killed? No. That is why she’s being charged with involuntary manslaughter. Was she eligible for jail time? Yes, she was, and the recommendations were that she not be sent to jail.”

“So, you’re just letting her off scot free?”

This time Tony waited to answer so that he could study Derek. Sometimes his friend’s stubbornness was a little exasperating. “She isn’t getting off scot-free as you say. Did you just deliberately ignore the things I said that don’t fit your narrative? Let’s recap. Shall we? She lost her job with the FBI. She’s been banned from holding a job in law enforcement in any shape, form, or manner for life. Most likely she is going to be banned from even owning any kind of device that can access the internet or simply accessing the internet herself in any way. That is just the start of her punishment.”

He paused to let that sink in before he continued. “She currently has nothing on her resume to assist with gaining employment should she need it. She can’t afford her apartment anymore, or even the basics she needs to survive. So, she’s currently depending on the generosity of her… significant other to survive.”

Derek snorted ugly. “Yeah, some hardship there. Shacking up with Rossi. Boy is she learning a lesson.”

“Even a gilded cage is still a cage, Derek. How long do you think it will take for someone who it seems was so thoroughly independent as her to chafe at knowing she has to depend on him for everything in her life? Is she homeless? No, thank God. Because I would hope that you’re not wishing that one someone who was your best friend.”

When Derek just stared at him, Tony decided to shift tactics. “Let’s be honest here, huh? You aren’t upset about what she did that helped Gideon. You’re upset about how her actions affected you. She betrayed the team, and she betrayed the trust that you personally had in her. I understand, Derek. I swear on Aaron’s life that I do. Jesus, trust and believe that I understand. Neither the FBI nor the Federal Judicial System can punish her for that though. Letting down your friends is thankfully not a crime, or there would be a shitload of people in jail including you and I. Unless, you’re suddenly Mr. Perfect over there?

“You need to come to terms with this though, and in my opinion, that won’t happen until you talk to her. You need to tell her how you feel, and then honestly you need to get over yourself. This isn’t about you in any way, shape, or form. If you don’t wanna be her friend, none of us would blame you. I sure as shit am not friends with all of the people who have betrayed me and hell, I forgive way too many. This vendetta thing you have developed though for someone who was such a vital part of your existence is a little much.”

Tony lifted an eyebrow and then sighed when Derek just turned his head toward the window. “Talk to her, then find a professional to talk to yourself before someone mandates it. I’m saying this as someone who has been betrayed by their team, their partner, their friends, and their parent. Do this for yourself, because if you wait till they make you, and that time is a lot closer than I think you realize, you won’t get as much out of it, in my opinion. And, the last thing any of them deserve is to derail your humanity or your career.”

Tony was prepared for a fiery reply from the man. So, when he just stood and left, Tony was a little surprised. He just hoped that it had done some good.

Most of his team had gone home when Tony heard another knock on his door. Looking up, he was relieved to see Aaron there.

“I heard that you had a visitor,” Aaron began as he came in and settled into the chair Derek had inhabited earlier. Tony just lifted an eyebrow prompting Aaron to continue.

“Derek complained to Reid because he was mad that you thought that it wasn’t about him. Spencer talked to Emily because he was confused about why Derek would still be mad. Emily bitched to Dave that Derek was a thickheaded idiot, and would I authorize a throat punching in her sparring session with Morgan tomorrow. Dave came to me to see when you were going to provide therapy to the rest of the team. He has a few more messages that he thinks you could deliver. Like starting with getting Reid to switch to decaf.”

Tony snorted as he watched Aaron grin. “I just call it like I see it, and there is no way I am tackling Reid’s coffee intake. I like my life the way it is. Thank you very much. In all seriousness though, being upset with her is understandable. Morgan’s wanting to scorch the earth of her very existence is a little extreme. I know I keep coming back to the fact that she was his best friend but… I mean, come on.”

Aaron nodded, and he hoped that his partner understood what he meant. “Derek is a very passionate man. He also has a rigid sense of justice that I sometimes think is too rigid. Sometimes he forgets that the world is full of gray. I think that Reid was going with Emily tonight to see Penelope. I think once he is back on her side, it will help. Surprisingly, Reid does a better job than the rest of us in talking Derek off his ledges. Rossi can be effective on occasion, but usually, it’s Reid that does the best.”

Tony sighed relieved. “I’m glad to hear that because if he’s mad now I am sure he’s going to be unhappier once he finds out the terms of her plea deal. I have a feeling that he’s hoping the judge doesn’t go for my recommendations.”

Aaron sat up straight. “It came through.”

Tony nodded as he unconsciously played with a pen on his desk in front of him. He and Aaron had their one and only fight over Penelope Garcia, and what he should do. The ironic thing was that once they both calmed down and started listening to each other, they realized they were saying almost the exact same thing. They’d just each let their own insecurities build to the point where that was all they could focus on.

“They pretty much took the recommendation that Will and I wrote up. She’s got a lifetime ban from the use of anything that can connect to the internet. She’ll also be forced to wear an electronic monitor that will track where she goes. Mandated weekly therapy sessions for the next year minimum, because she obviously has some issues that she needs to get resolved.

“The therapist though will have the authority to increase the required session totals, and it cannot be the therapist she’s using now. Although the court mandated therapist will be required to work with her current one. No one wants to derail her current therapy, especially with it being voluntary. Probation for at least the next 5 years. Lifetime ban from any type of government employment or any type of law enforcement position. Mandated community service for the next two years, and if she chooses to start her rehabilitation program for former hackers, then it will have required oversight by a court appointed representative to make sure she is teaching and learning the correct things. If she keeps living with Rossi, he will have to make sure that she has no access to any of his electronic devices, and the home will be subject to unannounced random inspection to ensure that they’re complying.”

Aaron nodded letting loose a deep sigh. “I know that you didn’t do it for me, but I thank you anyway.”

Tony smiled softly as he shutdown his computer. “Like I told Derek this afternoon. I did it because it was the right thing to do. Her path from here on out isn’t going to be easy. If she messes up again her future sentence will include prison time for this mess tacked on. I just hope that she makes the most of her last chance. I made goddamned sure that she will never get another one. What do you say we go home and snuggle Unit Chief Hotchner? I feel the need for some superheroes.”

“Batman, or Tony Stark?” Aaron asked grinning as he stood. His briefcase was sitting by the door. He’d pick it up on the way out.

“I am… Batman,” Tony replied dramatically, striking a pose before heading out. Aaron’s laughter followed him all the way to the elevator. Second chances were awesome. Penelope Garcia might be on her fourth or fifth chance, and she might not get anymore beyond this. He couldn’t help but believe that she wouldn’t need it though. He had faith that like him, she’d finally find her path.

Now, they just had to track down Jason Gideon. It would happen. He knew it because he and his team were not willing to stop until he was dead or behind bars. When the elevator doors opened, he stepped in and turned toward the front, with Aaron standing next to him. When the older man took his hand, Tony looked at him and smiled putting both Penelope and Gideon out of his mind. He had friends. He had a wonderful team. He had love. He was making the most of his second chances.

  
  


The End! (Until the next one.)

**Author's Note:**

> For those that didn't read this on Rough Trade, this is very firmly a Tony/Aaron story. There is no chance that Gibbs and Tony will reconcile. This story is very much about Tony and his life after NCIS, so while there will be some talk about NCIS, it won't be much. Asking for other views won't change anything. I deliberately increased the B factor in the second B for story-line purposes. I don't really think he's this crazy. 
> 
> This story is like my child, and I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> The story, and all of my other works, are also being posted over at my Word Press site. There you will also have access to the character guide, and an acronym reference. You can find me at [AngelicInsanity](http://angelicinsanity.com). You can find the story hub at [Second Time Main Page](https://angelicinsanity.com/2017/01/26/second-time-main-page/)


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